14 clam recipes
Served steamed, in the classic chowder, or added to pasta dishes as a seafood twist, clams are a really versatile ingredient. Serve them in garlic butter, XO sauce, or even spaghetti alla vongole with samphire
Make one of our best fresh clams recipes for an easy seafood supper. Try our inventive ideas including steamed clams and clam chowder or try linguine and clams for an easy midweek meal. Then try our scallop recipes and mussels recipes.
When are clams in season?
Clams are available all year round, but are at their best from September to December.
Why we love clams
Small, sweet clams are a great way to cook seafood at home. Spaghetti alle vongole is the most classic dish and we've got plenty of variations to try, but clams are also easily added to risotto, paella and seafood stews. They can be cooked in a similar way to mussels with lots of butter or a creamy sauce – serve with crusty bread for saving all the juices.
Easy clam recipes
Linguine alle vongole
The crunchy, chilli-laced pangrattato adds an extra kick to the salty, gloriously glossy sauce made from emulsified clam juice and extra virgin olive oil.
Drunken clams with chorizo
Put clams at the centre of this dish and serve with punchy chorizo. This vibrant recipe is low in calories and ready in just 20 minutes – perfect for a midweek meal. Serve with crusty bread and eat straight from the pan, if you like. We have many more midweek meal ideas here.
More like this
Clams in garlic butter recipe with parsley soda bread
Clams are in season from September to April – this easy recipe pairs them with garlicky butter and homemade crusty soda bread. Check out more of our fish recipes.
Clam linguine with turmeric and coriander
Try this spiced version of the famous clam dish spaghetti alle vongole. Inspired by Sabrina Ghayor's travels in Venice, it nods to the old Venetian love for importing spice.
Clams with quick XO sauce
Clams are in their prime in the more wintery months, so give this clams recipe a go with a quick and punchy XO sauce. XO sauce originates from Hong Kong and is traditionally made with dried shrimps and scallops. Check out more of our seafood recipes.
New England clam chowder recipe with oyster crackers
Want to make the most of clams while they're in season? Try them in this thick and creamy sauce with the salty-sweet flavours of bacon and clams (it's an American classic). Oyster crackers are small, salted crackers added to the top of the soup, a bit like croutons. Check out more of our favourite soup recipes.
Garlic chilli clams recipe on sourdough toast
Make the most of clams in our easy, low-calorie garlic chilli clams dish with crunchy sourdough toast. Try this impressive seafood recipe for a weekend lunch.
Cacciucco
Cacciucco is a fish stew from Livorno, a port on the coast of Tuscany, and it should contain five types of seafood. This recipe comes from Caldesi in Campagna, an Italian restaurant in Bray.
Roasted hake with clams, cider sauce and dill oil
Get a taste of the Spanish Camino with this elegant seafood dish from My Million Pound Menu winner, Pilgrim.
Tagliolini alle vongole
A simple, flavour-packed dish combining clams with punchy garlic, fiery red chilli and fragrant herbs, including salty samphire and fresh parsley.
Clams, mussels and chorizo with fino and aïoli
Make the most of clams in this quick classic shellfish soup made easy. Mussels and clams are cooked in sherry and finished off with garlic mayo, aïoli. Serve with slices of baguette for dunking. Love mussels? We have lots more mussels recipes.
Spaghetti with clams and gremolata
Liven up clams in this dish with gremolata, ideal for an easy meal for two. This quick seafood recipe would work equally well with linguine. We have lots more linguine recipes if that's what you're after.
Pork and clams recipe with tomatoes
A quick and easy casual fish supper with clams recipe, perfect for a dinner party with friends. This classic Spanish dish combines the fresh sea flavour of clams with the warm, spicy heat of chorizo. Check out our best pork recipes here.
Clams cooked in cider with smoked bacon, chorizo, parsley and chilli
Put clams are the heart in this seafood recipe. This dish needs to be cooked and eaten straight away, so have your guests in situ whilst you do the cooking. Clams aren’t expensive and are wonderful paired with bacon, chorizo, herbs and chilli.
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