FRESH WHITE CLAM (QUAHOG) SAUCE
3 pounds (about 13) quahog
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme
Fresh ground pepper
¾ to 1 cup dry white wine
Fresh pasta like linguini or one pound dried
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Wash and scrub the quahogs and the cherrystone clams. Put the quahogs in a large pot with wine. Place the cherrystone clams in a bowl and set aside. Cover the pot and steam the quahogs until they open, shacking the pot several times, and cook about 10 to 12 minutes. (discard any that do not open.) Remove the meat from the shells, mince it, and set aside; there should be about 1¼ cups.
Sauce
¼ cup olive oil
2 carrots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes to taste
2 cups fresh parsley, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ cup white wine
Minced parsley for garnish
In a large saucepan combine the olive oil and carrots, cook over medium heat until carrots are tender about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper flakes and cook until garlic starts to turn light brown. Add the lemon juice and white wine cook for 4 minutes then add the onion parsley puree with the liquid the quahogs were cooked in and the and fresh parsley. Cook over high heat for 12 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the cherrystone clams and cook until the clams have opened. Turn off the heat stir in the minced quahogs and cover the pan. Do not cook the quahogs further, or they will be come rubbery.
Toss into cooked warm pasta and garnishing with the cherrystone clams (three per person) and sprinkled with fresh parsley. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.