Directions

1. Place olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in a large serving bowl. Let stand at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
2. Place clams in a large bowl; fill with enough cold water to cover. Sprinkle over cornmeal or flour. Clams should open to ingest cornmeal or flour, releasing any sand that may be trapped inside. Let soak 10 minutes. Drain clams and scrub under running water to remove any dirt from shells. Repeat soaking and scrubbing process until clams are completely clean and soaking water is free of sand. Chill cleaned clams until ready to cook.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt water, return to a boil and add linguine. Cook until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions; drain.
4. Meanwhile, in another large pot with a tight-fitting lid, bring 1/4 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add clams, cover immediately, and steam until clams have opened, 3 to 5 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened.
5. Transfer cooked clams, in their shells, to serving bowl with olive oil mixture. Strain clam cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve over clams. Add linguine and fresh parsley; toss to combine. Serve immediately, drizzled with spicy olive oil, if desired.