The Best Clam Sauce

Method

1. Set a large pot of salted water on to boil for the linguine and start the sauce while it heats.
2. Warm the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a wide skillet over medium-low heat, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook gently until the garlic is pale gold and the oil smells sweet, 3 to 4 minutes; browning it makes the sauce bitter.
3. Pour in the white wine and raise the heat, simmering until it has reduced by half, then add the reserved clam liquor, the bottled clam juice, and the oregano and simmer 6 to 8 minutes, until slightly reduced.
4. Cook the linguine until just shy of al dente and drain it, saving 1 cup of the pasta water.
5. Add the drained linguine to the skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and toss over medium heat for 2 minutes, adding pasta water as needed until the sauce clings to the strands.
6. Stir in the clams, lemon juice, parsley, and black pepper and toss just until the clams are heated through, about 1 minute, then serve immediately.