What’s there to say about this Italian-American classic other than, “red or white?”
What Does Fennel Taste Like?
Why the licorice note from the fennel and anise?
Elise Bauer
It just goes well with tomato sauce and seafood.
Funny thing, my dad hates, and I mean truly despises, licorice.
Set both the juice and the clams aside.
Elise Bauer
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or saute pan over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped onion and fennel bulb and sprinkle with a little salt.
Stir well and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
Don’t brown them.
Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute.
Add the tomato paste and stir well to coat the vegetables.
Cook for a minute or two.
Stir well, turn the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
While the tomato sauce is cooking, heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta.
When the pasta water comes to a boil, cook the linguine pasta according to package directions.
Add the clams in the shell to the sauce pot.
Submerge the clams in the sauce.
Increase the sauce pot’s temperature up to a low boil or a strong simmer.
It should take 3 to 5 minutes for all the clams to open.
As the clams open, remove them to a bowl.
Add it to a large bowl.
Add the canned clams to the pasta sauce and return the formerly live clams to the sauce as well.
Add the chopped fennel fronds and stir to combine.
To serve, ladle some sauce into the bowl with the pasta and mix well to combine.
