Zuppa di vongole

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

5 tb Olive oil
1 ts Finely chopped garlic
6 tb Dry white wine
3 lb Firm ripe tomatoes

Instructions:

peeled Seeded gently squeezed of Excess juice and coarsely Chopped 2 Dozen small hard-shell clams In their shells 1/2 pt Boiling water 3 1/2 tb Finely chopped fresh parsley Heat the olive oil in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Add the garlic and cook stirring over a moderate heat for about 30 seconds. pour in the wine add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the sauce partially covered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile scrub the clams thoroughly and drop them into about 1/8 inch of boiling water (approx. 1/2 pint) in a large heavy pan. Cover tightly and steam the clams over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes until they open. Transfer the clams still in their shells to 4 large heated soup plates using a perforated spoon. Strain all the clam juice in the pan through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth into the simmering tomato sauce. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes then pour the soup over the clams and sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Serve at once.