This crispy pancetta pasta with canned clams tastes restaurant-worthy and can be ready in under 30 minutes! Tossed with sweet clams (and a smidgen of anchovy), this pasta relies on finely minced pancetta for a savory crunch in every bite.
For more 30-minute Italian pasta ideas, try my macaroni and peas recipe or Italian broccoli pasta recipe.
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🔍 Quick Look: Crispy Pancetta Pasta with Canned Clams
⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🍳 Cook Time: 15 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 25 minutes
👥 Servings: 4-6
📊 Calories: ~688 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
🔥 Cook Method: Stove-top based
👩🍳 Main Ingredients: Pancetta, pasta, clams
⭐ Difficulty: Easy, making it great for busy weeknight dinners
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Pancetta that's actually crispy: Finely minced pancetta creates a crispy bacon-bit-like texture throughout the pasta.
Fast and weeknight-friendly: Ready in 25 minutes with minimal prep.
Savory surf-and-turf flavor: Salty pancetta and briny clams balance each other beautifully.
This crispy pancetta pasta with canned clams uses cured pork belly (pancetta) as its star flavor. When minced, it becomes the ideal crispy base for this recipe.
This pancetta pasta dish is paired with canned clams for a weeknight-friendly dinner with a subtle seafood twist = doubly delicious.
Ingredient-Stretching Tip: This recipe calls for white wine, so if you open a new bottle and can't drink it fast enough(!), use what's left to make this linguine with canned clams, roasted butternut squash risotto, or orzo with asparagus recipe.
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Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for full ingredient and quantity information.
- Minced Pancetta: Finely minced pancetta is the "secret" technique to achieving crispy, crunchy bites of pork goodness.
- Canned Clams: This recipe is about simplicity, and it doesn't get much easier than canned clams.
- Anchovies: The secret ingredient is a bit of anchovy to highlight the dish's seafood flavor, as in this caramelized shallot pasta.
Variations & Substitutions
➢Use bacon (about 4 strips) if you can't find pancetta. You may want to use a bit less due to its smoky and stronger flavor.
➢Purchase thinly sliced pancetta if you can find it, which will be easier to mince.
➢You can use spaghetti, fettuccine, or another similar long pasta.
➢Top with crispy Panko breadcrumbs, if desired, like I do for this linguine with clams.
➢Purchase fresh clams instead of canned for this dish. You can purchase clam juice in a bottle and use it for some of the liquid. Use 1 to 1.5 pounds of fresh clams, and about 1 and ¾ to 2 cups of clam juice.
➢You can crisp up the minced pancetta in the oven. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cook at 400F until it crisps fully. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn. Note: The final dish will be less flavorful using this method.
How to Make Crispy Pancetta Pasta with Canned Clams
Step 1: While the linguine boils in salted water, cook the pancetta, then transfer it to a paper towel to drain.
Step 2: Heat the olive oil and butter, and cook the garlic just until golden. Stir in the red pepper flakes at the last minute, and cook for several seconds.
Step 3: Pour in the white wine, and simmer it for 2-3 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the clams and cook for 1 minute.
Step 4: Combine the drained linguine with the clam mixture. Add the pancetta and parsley, and toss well.
Pro Tips
➢Mince the pancetta beforehand: This will save time and make preparing this dinner that much faster.
➢Use a splatter screen to cook the pancetta: This helps keep things cleaner and safer when frying!
Crispy Pancetta Pasta with Canned Clams FAQs
Any type you like is fine, but I recommend whole or chopped clams over minced.
You can, but the canned clams already contain clam juice, which will enhance the clam/seafood flavor of this dish. And unless you use seafood stock, which isn't always easy to find, chicken or vegetable broth/stock won't be quite the same here.
You may have added too much pasta water, so add only a little at a time as you toss everything together. If you still add too much, let the pasta sit for a few minutes to help absorb some of it. You can also spoon out some of the liquid.
This pasta should have plenty of "sauce" from the amount of clam juice alone, but reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water in case it needs more, especially if the pasta is going to sit for a bit.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezer: I don't recommend freezing most cooked pasta, and the clams in this dish won't reheat well from the freezer.
Reheat: Warm the pasta in the oven or microwave until just heated through, to avoid overcooking the clams. You can also eat this at room temperature.
Related Recipes
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Crispy Pancetta Pasta with Canned Clams
Ingredients
- 16 ounces linguine
- 4 ounces pancetta minced (Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves peeled and sliced
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ cup dry white wine (Note 2)
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 2 6.5-ounce canned clams with liquid
- Handful Italian flat-leaf parsley minced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine according to the package's directions or until al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, place a large pan over medium heat and fry the minced pancetta until crispy, 3-5 minutes. Transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel. Leave any remaining grease from the pancetta in the pan for flavor!
- Turn off the heat to cool the pan down slightly before adding the olive oil and butter to it (the butter should melt quickly). Turn the heat back on, on low. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until it barely turns golden, about 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes, and give them a quick stir for 10 seconds.
- Pour in the wine and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes to partly reduce and cook off some of the alcohol. Add the anchovies and cook for 30 seconds, breaking them up in the pan.
- Add the clams with their liquid, and raise the heat so they simmer gently, 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
- Toss the clam mixture with the linguine, then add in the fresh parsley and some of the pancetta, reserving some extra for garnish. Give everything a final toss. Serve and top with additional parsley. Spoon some sauce from the pan over the pasta, along with some pasta water, if needed. Enjoy!
Notes
- Add only a little pasta water to keep the pasta from becoming watery. If you add too much, let the pasta sit for a few minutes to help absorb some of it. You can also spoon out some of the liquid.
- Alternatively, reserve more pasta water than you think you may need in case you prefer more liquid.
- Add salt if you feel it needs some. This recipe doesn't call for any (except for the pasta water) because of the pancetta and clams' inherent saltiness.
Nutrition
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Mincing the pancetta makes a difference. It also came out moist, and I didn't need to add any pasta water. Delicious.