KITCHEN NOTEBOOK / PASTA / THE FINISH
The last minute belongs to the pan.
The final toss is part of the cooking. In our linguine with clams and chorizo, it brings the pasta and the sauce together.
The recipe begins with pasta cooked just shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve about a cup of its cooking water. The linguine still has a little cooking to do, and the sauce is where it finishes.
Render the chorizo, build the sauce with garlic, vermouth, and stock, then steam the clams. Their released liquid belongs in the pan: it is part of the flavor of the finished dish.
Add the linguine and toss over medium heat. Use a splash of the reserved water as needed to keep the sauce loose enough to coat the strands. The goal in this recipe is a light coating, with the pasta and clam liquor finishing together.
Reserve the water. Keep the sauce loose. Finish the pasta in the pan.Read the full recipe →
Adapted from the method and chef’s note accompanying the linked In The Dish recipe. Image digitally styled from original photography.