| Scrub clams and place them in a
wide-lidded pot with enough water to cover the bottom. Cover
pan, turn on heat and bring to a steady simmer. After 5 to 7
minutes, check on the clams: you'll want to remove each one as
soon as it opens. Every minute or so uncover the pot and, with
tongs, remove any clams from shells that open. After 10 minutes
or so, all the clams should have opened. Discard any that have
not. When clams are cool enough to handle, roughly chop.
Strain the clam broth through a
fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or 1 ply of a 2-ply paper
towel, tilting pan gently to leave most of sand behind.
Bring a large pot of salted water
to boil and cook pasta. Meanwhile, wipe the clam pan clean and
add olive oil and minced onion. sauté over medium heat for about
2 minutes, until onion softens and begins to turn translucent,
then add garlic. sauté another minute and add crushed red pepper
and black pepper. When garlic just starts to brown, add wine and
reserved clam juice. Bring to a lively simmer and adjust
seasoning.
Add clams and stir until they are
warmed through. Drain linguine and place in a serving bowl. Pour
clam sauce over pasta and toss. Garnish with shredded basil if
desired.
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