As this dish is fairly quick, start boiling a pot of heavily salted water first. The linguini takes just 7 minutes for al dente so you can toss the noodles in as soon as the water reaches a rolling boil.

In a saucepan on medium high add the olive oil and chopped shallots. When translucent add the minced garlic and cook for about 15 seconds. Then add the white wine.

Add all the littleneck clams to the saucepan, and at the same time the pot of water should be boiling. Add the linguini now. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon and put a lid on the sauce pan. Turn the heat to medium and let cook without touching it for 5-7 minutes, about when all the clams will open.

Add the butter, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste to the saucepan, as well as three tablespoons of the pasta water the noodles are cooking in. Then drain the noodles and toss them all in the saucepan. Toss to mix. Garnish with a lemon wedge and some more parsley leaves.