Come to your table with a big platter of this and you'll be sure to hear lots of Oooh's and Aaah's!
Your tomato sauce can be made ahead of time and heated up while the clams are cooking on the grill. Cook your cleaned and scrubbed fresh clams on medium heat, just until all the shells open up.
The sauce is simply made by removing your favorite Italian sausage from it's casing, it could be either hot or mild, whatever you like. Brown it up, then add lots of coarsely chopped garlic, a good splash of wine, some clam juice and a couple cans of good quality tomatoes that have been drained and chopped up, along with some fresh basil, simmer till done. Of course depending on how many clams you have, adjust accordingly, I had five pounds. When finished, transfer your clams to a platter then spoon your sauce all over and add some fresh chopped parsley.
Now do you see why you need that crusty garlic bread? You have to sop up those juices!
If you're a real clam lover you might also want to try out this recipe too!
Have a great weekend, and Buon appetito!