Linguine w/ Clams, Pancetta & Hot Chilies
by Celia Cheng
March 29th, 2006
BABBO
110 Waverly Pl
(6th Ave & MacDougal St)
212-777-0303
$$$$
After having this linguine, I craved it for four weeks straight. While it seems like a rather straightforward pasta — linguine with clams, pancetta and hot chilies — for me, it’s really complex as the flavors are both subtle and rich at the same time. Even the chilies are not overly spicy but rather subtle. While eating it, I thought it fairly ordinary, and, without noticing, finished the entire dish. After the fact, I recall with clarity that the clams were extremely fresh and thoroughly cleaned, and the richness of both the clams and pancetta gives this pasta the flavor that it needs. Not that I was hungry, but I cleaned the plate of remaining broth by dipping bread into it and scraping every last drop. I’m telling you, I didn’t realize that I had licked the plate. ;)
Posted in Italian , Pasta , Seafood
