Start the meal with antipasti and bread-sticks from your local Italian deli and offer Italian aperitifs such as Campari and soda, dry white vermouth or Asti Spumante. With the pasta, salad and cheese courses, pour Italian red and white wines. If fresh clams are unavailable, you can prepare this dish with two cans of clams, using the juice from only one can.
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 dozen small clams, scrubbed
1 6 1/2-ounce can chopped clams
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 pound dried linguine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon drained capers
additional olive oil
Heat 6 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add wine and bring to simmer. Add fresh clams. Cover and steam until clams open, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that don`t open. Stir in canned clams with juices, fresh lemon juice and anchovy paste and simmer for one minute.
Meanwhile, cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain.
Add parsley and capers to sauce. Mound pasta on platter. Drizzle with olive oil. Spoon sauce over and serve.
