| 1 | Preparation: make the egg pasta. |
| 2 | Roll as thin as possible and cut into 1/8-inch wide strips for linguine. |
| 3 | Mince the garlic. |
| 4 | Chop the tarragon. |
| 5 | Scrub the clams, discarding any that have opened. |
| 6 | Place clams and wine in a large pot; cook, covered, over medium-high heat, shaking occasionally, until all the clams have opened, about 6 minutes. |
| 7 | Remove pot from heat and allow clams to cool. |
| 8 | Remove clams from shells; if using steamers, pull off the black portion of the neck. |
| 9 | Swish clams in the cooking liquid to remove any loose sand. |
| 10 | Strain cooking liquid through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. |
| 11 | Chop clams and put them in a bowl with the strained cooking liquid. |
| 12 | Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. |
| 13 | Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over low heat in a small saucepan. |
| 14 | Add the garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. |
| 15 | Add the tarragon and red-pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes more. |
| 16 | Add the clams and cooking liquid, bring to a simmer, and remove saucepan from the heat. |
| 17 | Season with salt and pepper. |
| 18 | Note: recipe can be made to this point several hours ahead. |
| 19 | cooking and serving: cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until tender, about 3 minutes for fresh pasta. |
| 20 | Meanwhile, reheat the clam sauce if made ahead. |
| 21 | Drain the pasta and return to the pot. |
| 22 | Toss linguine with the clam sauce and adjust the seasoning, if desired. |
| 23 | Serve immediately. |
| 24 | makes 4 servings. |
| 25 | [cooks march-april 1988] |
