- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño chiles
- 1 cup canned tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 6 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
- Melt butter in very large pot over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and jalapeño; stir until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, wine, and lemon juice and bring to boil. Add clams; cover and boil until clams open, about 9 minutes (discard any clams that do not open). Add basil and lemon peel. Season with pepper. Transfer clams and sauce to large bowl and serve.