Grilled Clams with Spicy Italian Sausage

Grilled clams is a summer favorite at our beach house and no matter how many clams we make, they are always gone! Sweet clams, paired with spicy sausage and a light tangy tomato sauce makes a great meal with crispy bread or pair over a bowl of linguine or pasta of your choice.

For our crowd, we start with 100 clams! Yes 100! -- but you can pair this down or add as your crowd demands. This part needs patience and dedication. Clean the clams - and when you think they are clean, clean them again. May need to pour a glass of wine or grab a stool while you scrub - but take a brush and scrub each one all over. Nothing worse than having sand and grit in your sauce!

The sauce - start with a quality hot Italian sausage about 3 pounds for this amount of clams. Brown well and drain all fat. Then add chopped shallots (2 whole), minced garlic (6 cloves) and sautee with the sausage. Add three 28 ounce cans of chopped san marzano tomatoes (or brand of your choice). Simmer for 10 minutes and add 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a large handful of fresh torn basil leaves.

Once the sauce cooks for about 20 minutes divide clams into two large disposable pans, and cover with equal amount of the sauce. Cover with foil and place on a high closed grill and cook until all clams have opened, usually around 20 minutes.

Serve with your favorite pasta, for this dish we serve with about 3 pounds of linguine, or skip the pasta and serve with a side of bread and a nice salad.