Linguine with Clams, Pancetta, and Spicy Fresno Chiles

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Cut off and discard the stems from the chiles, cut in half, and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the red onion, garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and purée, wiping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, if necessary. Use, or transfer to an airtight container for up to several days.

   Step 2

   Place the yellow onion in a small saucepan with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 1 hour or until the onion is mushy. Drain the onion, reserving the water, and transfer the onion to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or the jar of a blender. Purée the onion, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to make a smooth purée.

   Step 3

   Fill a pasta pot or a large stockpot with 6 quarts of water, add 6 tablespoons of salt, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. If you are not using a pasta pot, put a colander in the sink or have a pair of tongs handy for lifting the pasta out of the water.

   Step 4

   While the water is coming to a boil, combine 2 cups of the wine and the clams in a large sauté pan over high heat. Cover the pan and cook the clams until they steam open, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the clams from the liquid, discarding any that haven’t opened. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve the liquid. Shuck half of the clams and leave the other half in their shells.

   Step 5

   Combine the pancetta and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring the pancetta to brown it evenly, until the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Push the pancetta to one side and add the sliced garlic to the bare side of the pan. Season the garlic with salt, add 1/2 cup of the puréed onion (discarding or reserving the rest for another use), and cook the garlic and onion purée for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant and the water has cooked out of the purée. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the chile paste and cook for 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of wine, 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid you cooked the clams in, and 1/2 cup of fresh water. Turn off the heat and add the scallions but don’t stir them in. Turn off the heat while you cook the pasta.

   Step 6

   Drop the linguine into the boiling water, stir to prevent the strands from sticking together, partially cover the pot so the water returns to a boil quickly and continues boiling, and cook the pasta, using the time indicated on the package as a guide, until it’s al dente. About 1 minute before the pasta is done, place the sauce over high heat. Lift the pasta out of the cooking water, or reserve 1 cup of the water and drain the pasta, and immediately add it to the pan with the sauce. Cook the pasta with the sauce for 2 minutes, stirring with a rubber spatula or tongs, to coat the pasta with the sauce, adding some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta is dry and sticky instead of slippery and glistening. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley. Drizzle in the finishing-quality olive oil.

   Step 7

   Divide the clams that are still in their shells among four large soup plates or pasta plates. Use tongs to lift the linguine out of the pan and on top of the clams, dividing the pasta evenly, and twirling it as it falls onto the plate to form a tight mound. Spoon any sauce or clams left in the pan over the pasta, and serve.

2. suggested wine pairing

   Step 8

   Vermentino Riviera Ligure di Ponente (Liguria)