Linguine & Red Clam Sauce

Linguine & Red Clam Sauce
This is my husband's favorite way to eat clams!
Ingredients
1 or 2 dozen fresh clams
1 large can crushed Italian plum tomatoes (San Marzano or Pomi)
1 cup white wine
olive oil (about 4-5 tablespoons)
1 clove garlic minced
6 fresh leaves basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
red pepper flakes (to taste)
salt & black pepper
Directions
Mince or crush garlic. Cover the bottom of a large skillet (It needs to be big enoughable to hold the pasta and sauce at the end) with olive oil and cook the garlic on low and slow just until tender but not brown. Add the tomatoes and the herbs to the skillet along with the salt and both peppers. Simmer uncovered while you steam the clams and start the pasta water.
Start a large well salted pot for the pasta.
Steam the clams in a large pot with the wine for 5 minutes or till they all open. Remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon. Place into a bowl. Discard any unopened ones after most have opened. Do not remove the clams from the shells. Retain any juice from the pot: you can strain it through a fine mesh strainer to remove any sand if you are using "wild" clams but if they are "farm raised" clams they are probably okay.
Add the clams, shells and all to the skillet of tomato sauce along with the clam juice/wine mixture produced while steaming.
Simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
After the pasta is cooked al-dente add it to the skillet with the sauce and mix well. A set of tongs works great for this.
Serving Suggestions: No cheese! The Italians never serve fish with cheese. Lot's of bread to soak up juices and a nice light salad go well with this meal. Wine Paring:Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Verdicchio.