Crispy Pancetta Pasta with Canned Clams

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This crispy pancetta pasta with canned clams uses finely minced pancetta for optimal crunch. Along with sweet clams, white wine, butter, and a small amount of anchovies, this pasta recipe tastes restaurant-worthy but can come straight from your own kitchen in under 30 minutes.

Recipe Mood: Pasta Craving
Indulgence Level: Medium
Effort Level: Easy

A bowl of crispy pancetta pasta with canned clams.

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Ingredient-Stretching Tip: If you open a new bottle of white wine for this recipe and can’t drink it fast enough, use some to make this linguine with clams, anchovies, and breadcrumbs, butternut squash fall risotto with arugula walnut pesto, and orzo with asparagus and Parmesan.

Clams with pancetta is nothing new, but I often find that the centers of diced pancetta remain on the chewier side instead of crisping all the way through. Say hello to this crispy pancetta pasta with canned clams, which achieves pure crispiness by finely mincing the pancetta first and removing it from the pan immediately after it’s finished cooking.

Of course, you can purchase sliced pancetta and cook it, but if you can only find diced, then just grab a sharp knife and spend about 5 minutes mincing it. It’ll cook up almost like bacon bits and be much more flavorful in this delicious pasta.

This crispy pancetta pasta also calls for canned clams over fresh, mainly for simplicity. I also find that the clam juice in canned clams helps create more flavor and a richer sauce. Canned clams are also more budget-friendly.

Most of all, this is a recipe so good that you’ll want to make it again and again!

Why You’ll Love This Crispy Pancetta Pasta with Canned Clams

Pancetta that’s actually crispy: Pancetta is minced for this recipe, ensuring crispy bits that add more texture and flavor over diced pancetta.
Great weeknight meal: This recipe requires minimal effort and comes together quickly, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner when you still want something restaurant-quality.
Surf-and-turf vibes: The briny sweetness of clams and the salty richness of pancetta are a match made in heaven.

Key Ingredients

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 seafood flavor of this dish.

See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.

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How to Make This Recipe

Boil pasta: Cook linguine in salted water until al dente, reserving some pasta water before draining.
Crisp pancetta: Fry minced pancetta in a large pan until crispy, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving grease in the pan.
Sauté aromatics: Add olive oil, butter, and garlic to the pan; cook until garlic turns lightly golden. Stir in red pepper flakes for 10 seconds.
Deglaze with wine: Pour in white wine, simmer 2-3 minutes to reduce. Add anchovies, cook 1 minute, breaking them up.
Simmer clams: Add canned clams with liquid; simmer gently 1-2 minutes.
Toss together: Combine linguine with clam mixture, pancetta, and parsley. Toss well.
Serve: Garnish with extra parsley and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

A bowl of linguine and canned clams garnished with crispy bits of pancetta.

Pro Tips

Mince the pancetta beforehand: This will save time and make preparing this quick dinner even quicker.
Use a splatter screen to cook the pancetta: This helps keep things cleaner and safer when frying!

Variations & Substitutions

-Use bacon (no more than 4 strips) if you can’t find pancetta. You may want to use a bit less due to its smoky and more overpowering flavor.
-You can use spaghetti, fettuccine, or another similar long pasta.
-Top with crispy Panko breadcrumbs if desired.
-Purchase fresh clams instead of canned for this dish. You can purchase clam juice in a bottle and use it for the liquid. Use 1 to 1.5 pounds of fresh clams, and about 1 and 3/4 to 2 cups of clam juice.
-You may want to keep bottled clam juice on hand if you like a saucier pasta dish. If you accidentally add too much liquid to your pasta, refer to the Recipe FAQs below for suggestions on how to fix that.
-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.

Recipe FAQs

Which is the best: whole, chopped, or minced clams?

Personally, I like chopped clams the best. I find the whole ones a bit too chewy and the minced variety too small.

Can I use broth or stock instead of the reserved clam juice?

You can, but the clam juice is readily available in the canned clams, and it will extend 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 in this recipe.

What if my sauce is too watery?

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, allow the pasta to sit for a few minutes to help absorb some of it. You can also carefully place a lid on the pot/pan of pasta before opening it slightly and draining some of the liquid. You may need a second pair of hands to help you with this!

What if my pasta is too dry?

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 moisture. I find that this recipe typically doesn’t require any pasta water with the initial serving, but it can come in handy if the pasta sits for a while. You can also keep bottled clam juice on hand and add some when cooking the clams if you want more liquid.

What if my sauce is too salty?

You’ll notice that this recipe doesn’t call for any salt (except for what you add to the pasta water), because the pancetta and clams are already inherently salty. Taste the sauce once the clams finish cooking; if it needs salt, add some.

Can I mince the pancetta in a food processor?

I haven’t tested this yet, so I recommend using a sharp knife or mezzaluna to mince it. Since you’ll likely be using already diced or thinly sliced pancetta, a food processor might turn it into a paste too quickly.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 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.

More Pasta Recipes

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