Recipe Review: Pasta Atomica (Linguine with olive oil, garlic, parsley, pepper, clams and prawns)

This will serve 10.

* 1 1/2 pounds of prawns (16 to 20 to the pound)
* 1 1/2 pounds of steamer clams (or one can chopped clams)
* 2-3 generous pinches red pepper flakes (more, if you like it really hot)
* 2-3 full heads of garlic
* 1 bunch flat-leafed Italian parsley
* 1 1/2 pounds of imported linguine (or spaghettini, spaghetti)
* Salt
* 1/4-1/8 pound salted butter
* roughly 1/2 pint extra virgin olive oil. The right amount of olive oil is what it takes to thoroughly coat each strand, but not to leave an oil pool at the bottom of the serving dish.

Step 1. Finely chop garlic. In a pan, add garlic and slightly less than a pint of olive oil. On low flame, simmer until garlic just begins to change color. Above all, do not allow it to brown. At that moment, add pepper flakes and about half of the chopped parsley. Add dollop of butter, allow sauce to simmer about a minute longer, then remove from heat and set aside.

Step 2. In a large covered pot, steam clams for about three minutes after all clams have opened. Shuck and set aside meat, discarding any clams that do not open. Reserve the clam nectar.

Step 3. Shell prawns (no need to gut). Lightly sauté empty shells in remaining butter and olive oil, remove shells, and add prawns, dash of salt and a grinding of black pepper and then sauté only until all the prawns have turned reddish. Set prawns aside.

Step 4. Fill a large spaghetti pot two thirds of the way to the top with water (the rule is, at least a gallon of water per pound of pasta), add nectar. Bring water to a rapid boil, add 2 to 3 tablespoons salt, add pasta, stir and cook until al dente, usually 8 to 10 minutes. To check for doneness, start taste-testing strands after about 7 minutes.

Step 5. Drain (but do not rinse) pasta, plop it in bowl and add clams, prawns, garlic mixture (you may have to reheat at last moment), remaining parsley, then stir and serve. DO NOT SERVE WITH GRATED CHEESE.