Squid Ink Linguine with Little Neck Clams and Popped Tomatoes

Directions

1. Soak your clams for 20 minutes in salty water just before cooking. As the clams breathe they filter water. When the water is filtered, the clam pushes salt water and sand out of their shells. Change the water 1-2 times, and then leave them to soak in fresh, cold water for another 10 minutes.
2. Bring a few inches of liquid to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Tip the shells into a steamer or colander and expose them to the steam for 2 minutes and cover tightly with a lid. You can shake them from time to time, until the clam shells have all opened.
3. Strain liquid that was released in the bottom of the pan, and reserve for later (it will be added to sauce).
4. Remove clam meat from shells, chop coarsely, add back to reserved clam juice.
5. Peel and crush 3 garlic cloves
6. Slowly heat enough olive oil to cover bottom of a large frying pan
7. Add garlic and fry until you can faintly smell the garlic cooking, do not let it brown. (about 1 minute)
8. Add tomatoes to frying pan and let them sauté for about 15 minutes at med heat.
9. Once the tomatoes have started to blister, add a couple generous splashes of wine, then let the wine deglaze the bottom of the pan by scraping up the tomatoes and shaking things around a bit. Turn the heat down so that its at a gentle simmer.
10. Once you feel like there is a gravy-like liquid made from popped tomatoes and deglazing (about another 15-20 minutes) turn off the heat and add the clams + clam juice to the tomatoes.
11. Add your pasta to boiling salty water and cook it half way through (about 3-4 minutes). Reserve a ladle of the pasta water before straining.
12. Return the sauce to med-low heat, add some of the reserved pasta water, add the pasta and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce as it heats. Once the liquid has coated the pasta and thickened from the gluten in the water, turn off the heat (About 4 minutes)
13. Salt to taste. Garnish with ripped parsley. Note: the sauce can be made at least a day ahead!