My First Recipe Post: Linguini With Clam Sauce

I am not Italian. Not even a drop. But you'd never know it by the way I cook! I love pasta, especially spicy pasta recipes, and this recipe fits the bill. This recipe is a rough combination of several red clam sauce recipes I've tried over the years; I definitely add more spices than most recipes call for, so feel free to reduce if you don't like your dinner to bite back. Serve this red clam sauce over a plate of hot linguini and don't forget salad and the bread...oh, and the red wine!

You'll need:
- One pound of uncooked linguini
- Three cans of chopped clams
- One 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- One small can of tomato paste
- Two cloves of fresh garlic
- One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- One heaping tablespoon of crushed red pepper (or more to taste)
- One tablespoon each of dried basil, parsley, and oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Fill a large pot with water and set to boil.
2. Mince the garlic and add it to a deep frying pan with the oil; drain the diced tomatoes and add to the frying pan. Set heat to medium to lightly begin cooking the garlic and softening the tomatoes.
3. Add two cans of clams to frying pan, including clam juice. Drain the third can and add additional clams. Stir and heat through.
4. Add half the can of tomato paste to the frying pan. Stir to incorporate. Add all spices. Continue to heat on medium-low while pasta cooks.
5. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente.
6. Drain pasta. Top with sauce to taste.

These are a few pictures of the finished product - excuse the grainy iPhone quality:

I like a lot of sauce...can you tell :) The other great thing about this dish is that it reheats really well for a nice lunch tomorrow. I can't wait to eat it all over again!