Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›Bar 'Cino Newport›Baked Clams Recipe

Baked Clams Recipe

Inspired by Bar 'Cino Newport
Time50m
Serves4

pomodoro, white wine, chili flakes, garlic bread

Jump to Recipe

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Clams & Sauce

Garlic Bread (to serve)

Method

Clams & Sauce

  1. 1

    Prepare clams

    Rinse clams under cold water, scrub shells and discard any with broken shells or that do not close when tapped. If needed, purge clams in cold salted water for 20 minutes to remove grit, then rinse and drain.

  2. 2

    Start aromatics

    Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). In a wide sauté pan or skillet (ovenproof) heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium. Add minced garlic and chopped shallot and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant and translucent but not browned.

  3. 3

    Add heat and deglaze

    Add crushed red pepper flakes and stir 10 seconds. Pour in the white wine, raise heat to medium-high and simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly and cook off some alcohol.

  4. 4

    Build pomodoro

    Stir in crushed tomatoes (or passata). Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 6–8 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

  5. 5

    Finish sauce

    Remove pan from heat. Stir in diced cold butter a piece at a time to enrich the sauce, then add lemon juice and most of the chopped basil (reserve a little for garnish).

  6. 6

    Add clams and bake

    Nestle clams into the tomato sauce hinge-side down so they sit in the sauce. Scatter grated cheese evenly over the top. Transfer the ovenproof skillet to the preheated oven and bake 10–12 minutes until clams open and cheese is melted and golden in spots. Discard any clams that remain tightly closed after baking.

  7. 7

    Finish and serve

    Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining basil leaves and a drizzle (about 1 tbs) of olive oil if desired. Serve immediately with garlic bread alongside, and pass lemon wedges.

Garlic Bread (to serve)

  1. 8

    Prepare garlic butter

    While sauce simmers, preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) if not already. In a small bowl combine softened butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, 1 tbs olive oil and 0.25 tsp salt. Mix until smooth.

  2. 9

    Assemble bread

    Slice the baguette in half lengthwise (or into 1-inch slices for toasts). Spread garlic butter evenly over cut sides. If you prefer crispier bread, brush outer crust lightly with olive oil.

  3. 10

    Bake bread

    Place bread on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 8–10 minutes until butter has melted and edges are golden. For extra browning, switch to broil for 1–2 minutes watching carefully.

  4. 11

    Finish

    Remove from oven, let rest 1 minute, then slice (if halved) and serve hot alongside the baked clams.

More from Bar 'Cino Newport