There's this little hole in the wall Italian restaraunt in Fairfax called La Dolce Vita - my parents raved about this place for years - before they became so popular that it became overcrowded and difficult to even get a table without waiting an hour. So my parents decided to find a weekend that it would not be too crowded to make an attempt to go - it was Memorial Day weekend. We went on that Saturday evening - early. We almost immediately got a table (they don't take reservations for parties less than 5 people). The food was amazing. I had ordered a house specialty - Linguini with a Spicy White Clam Sauce. I was really impressed. So impressed that I recreated it tonight - a recreation of it. Recipe from scratch - but provincially close to a standard. Without adeu, I present:

Linguini con la salsa bianca del mollusco (Linguini with White Clam Sauce)

1 lb dry or fresh linguini
3 six ounce cans chopped clams in clam juice (separate clams from juice)
3 scallions, sliced thin
6 large cloves of garlic, chopped
2tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2tbsp butter or margarin
1 cup dry Chardonnay
1 tsp thyme (preferably fresh - minced, dry will be ok)
1 tsp basil (preferably fresh - minced, dry will be ok)
1 medium bunch of cilantro (Italian parsley can be substituted), washed and roughly choppped
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red peper flakes
cracked black pepper and kosher salt to taste

Prepare linguini at the same time as the sauce. (Boil water, add linguini - let cook for 8-10 minutes). For sauce: In a large skillet on high heat, add 1tbsp olive oil - saute garlic and scallions for one minute then add clams (clam juice will be added later) and brown clams for another minute. Add cilantro, clam juice, Chardonnay, red pepper flakes, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. bring to a low boil and stir constantly. Allow to cook for at least 8-10 minutes partially uncovered so clam juice and Chardonnay can infuse. Add butter/margarin, stir. Drain pasta and add to sauce, stir thuroughly. Enjoy!

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