Florida Clam Linguine with Tomato, Basil, Lemon and Cortez Bottarga

Ingredients

Preparation

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the preheated pan. Carefully add the diced tomatoes and garlic to the pan. Cook tomatoes and garlic for 2 minutes. Season the tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable broth and whole clams to the tomato mixture. While the clams are cooking, combine the toasted panko, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a small mixing bowl. Stir bread crumb mixture to combine. Cook the clams until they start to open, adding the cooked pasta to the pan when the clams are ready. Lightly toss ingredients to combine. Add lemon juice and the basil to the clam pasta. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. The clams should all be open and ready to serve; discard unopened clams. To serve, place an even amount of pasta in each bowl. Nestle the clams around the pasta. Pour the remaining tomato sauce evenly over each bowl. Drizzle the panko mixture over the clams and garnish with the Cortez Bottarga and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.