Copycat Recipe: Maggiano’s Linguini and Clams

If you love pasta and you love seafood, you are likely to love Linguini and Clams. I’m a fan of both, but I don’t like just any old Linguini and Clams. I really wanted Maggiano’s Linguini and Clams with the White Sauce, in particular, but I didn’t feel like driving an hour just to go to dinner. And besides that, I really wanted to cook! So, I looked for a copycat recipe and got to work. Until last night, I didn’t know how Maggiano’s created such an amazing dish, but now I think I know how. And you know what, even if it’s not 100% authentic (meaning, exactly the way they do it)…I was happy as a clam eating this dish (haha!) and I didn’t have to drive a long way to get there, search for parking, or wait a long time for a table. What bliss!  

Thankfully, the recipe was pretty simple and since it’s summer time, I have plenty of fresh herbs growing in the garden right now. This is one recipe where you really don’t want to skimp on the herbs…there’s not much to this recipe and in my opinion, fresh herbs are as important as the clams. It’s not saucy; it’s light and flavorful, and oh so yummy!

Alright, let’s move on to the recipe. When I try a new recipe, I typically like to try it as it’s written and then tweak it the next time around, however, sometimes I just have to make changes along the way. This was one of those times. The first change was the amount of garlic and crushed red pepper…we doubled the both right off the bat! Knowing how canned clams are mostly full of water, we added an extra can. We moved through the recipe as written, until we got to the final simmer. The sauce was pretty clear and yellow, so we added a bit of cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. We also doubled the butter and added it into the simmer, instead of adding it afterward as suggested by the recipe. The changes worked out well, as it was pretty close to Maggiano’s Linguini and Clams, but it wasn’t spot on, but it was close enough to make me happy and kill the craving. Can’t complain about that!

Print

Copycat Recipe: Maggiano's Linguini and Clams

This is a great copycat recipe - made some updates to our liking.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Vegetariant

Ingredients

• 8 oz linguine uncooked
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 8 oz bottle clam juice
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 26 oz canned chopped clams (4 - 6.5 oz cans)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (We used Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water to make a slurry
• 1 Tbs butter or margarine
• 4 Tbs fresh parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

1. Bring approximately 8 cups water to a boil, then add linguini and cook per package directions.
2. In a large sauté or sauce pan, warm up the olive oil over medium-high heat.
3. Sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper for approximately 1-2 minutes.
4. Add clam juice and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in clams and next 4 ingredients; simmer 3 minutes.
6. Add the cornstarch slurry and butter and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Toss with pasta, top with a bit of parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Cornstarch Slurry: You'll want to thicken this sauce with cornstarch. If you add dry cornstarch to hot liquid, it will often remain lumpy. By mixing a cornstarch slurry, you work out the lumps and when this liquid is added to the hot sauce, it doesn't seize up or come out lumpy.

Adapted from Maggiano's at Home Linguini and Clams

Did you make this Linguini and Clams recipe? Snap a picture of your creation and share it on social with #vegetariant. You can also leave a comment here, if you’d like. 🙂

Enjoy!