Oddly, the one thing I make that every kid in my house will eat (including the revolving circuit of friends of my four daughters) is clams and linguini.

It's really good for kids and adults (growing up with my Sicilian grandmother didn't hurt).

It's easier to make than you would think (30 minutes total) DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY THIS. IT'S REALLY HARD TO MESS THIS ONE UP!

BE SURE TO WATCH OUT FOR SHELLFISH ALLERGIES IF YOU SERVE TO KIDS!

This recipe is for 4 - 6 people.

YOU WILL NEED

1 BOX OF DRIED LINGUINI.

FRESH BASIL

FRESH GARLIC (OR THE MINCED JARRED KIND)

ONE WHITE ONION (OR BROWN)

DRIED OREGANO

DRIED FENNEL SEEDS

CAN OF CHOPPED PEELED TOMATOES

SALT AND PEPPER

6 CANS CLAMS

WHITE WINE

- Get your pot of water boiling (with a dash of salt thrown in).

Chop up FOUR CLOVES OF GARLIC (you can use the minced kind from a jar if you want). Don't worry about how much...in my view you can't put too much garlic.

Chop up 1/2 a WHITE ONION (OR BROWN).

Cover the bottom of a large sauce pan with olive oil (again, you can't put too much...really).

When the oil is hot toss in the garlic and the onions and reduce to medium heat. Wait until the garlic begins to turn golden-brown.

During this time you can sprinkle in a little salt and pepper. (I have no idea how much - take it easy at first, you can always add more salt later.)

During the garlic/onion frying you add your DRIED OREGANO and FENNEL SEEDS. (just sprinkle enough of each distributed across the area of the pan. I'd say it's about 4 tbsp of the oregano and 2 tbsp of the fennel.

So when the garlic is turning golden brown that's when you have to throw in your clams. Use 6 cans of chopped or baby manila clams WITH the juice. You can mix this up if you want.

ALSO - YOU CAN ADD OTHER KINDS OF SEAFOOD TO THIS...SHRIMP, ANY SHELLFISH LIKE MUSSELS, CRAB)

Pour in a small bottle of clam juice.

Pour in 3/4 cup - 1 CUP of white wine. (any white wine that's not sweet - chardonay...)

Chop up 6-8 large basil leaves (fresh) and throw this in.

We should still be on medium - medium/high heat at this time.

NOW if you want red sauce (which I prefer) pour in a large can of chopped peeled tomatoes.

Now let this boil for another 5 minutes or so. Stir frequently.

NOTE - if you want more sauce don't be afraid to throw in a bit more clam juice or wine. Just let it cook for a while and add extra spices to taste)

MAKE SURE YOU TASTE TO SEE IF IT NEEDS MORE SALT.

Now you can put your linguini into the pot. (I usually use the normal dried kind). Most boxes of linguini take 11 minutes or so.

Reduce your sauce down to low heat and let it simmer.

A SECRET - at this point you should throw in a quarter cup of grated (NOT shreded) you want the tiny, tiny, grated PECORINO ROMANO CHEESE (You can also use parmesean)

I know a lot of foodies will tell you no cheese with seafood. I wholly do not agree. This is what makes this dish extra good.

If you want to soften up the robustness of this dish you can add 1/4 cup of cream (though I only recommend this with the white sauce).

Make sure you do not over-cook the pasta. You want this to be almost borderline tough when you take it out. It will soften a bit more when you add the sauce.

JUST STRAIN IT...DON'T RINSE IT.

In a large serving bowl LAYER THE SAUCE AND THE PASTA. You do this by covering the bottom of the bowl with sauce...then a layer of pasta...stir it around...more sauce...more pasta...repeat until the bowl is filled.

When you serve, make sure everyone gets a lot of the broth too. (this is not a thick sauce...it will turn out very brothy.)

FOR ADULTS - I like to add crushed red pepper to spice it up, especially for the red sauce.

You can of course add more grated cheese when you serve.

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!