Linguine With Clams And Chorizo

Well I over salted the water tonight, and it made the dish a bit too salty.  I knew I had so I didn't add the salt when the recipe called for it, but it was still too salty.  That being said, it wasn't bad.  If the salt had been correct I think it would have been outstanding.  I've been wanting to make this dish for a while.  We love fresh chorizo and I can only ever find the dried.  One of my neighbors told me they had the fresh at Publix; I didn't believe her since I had been looking for it there forever. Turns out I was wrong. (shhhh, don't let my husband hear that I said that;)  Tonight I started soaking the clams when I brought them home from the store at about 12:30.  (I put down a bed of cornmeal and placed the clams on top of it then covered it with water)  I soaked them for an hour on the counter and then put them in the refrigerator.  I had looked up ways of purging the grit from clams for the last clam recipe, but the half hour soaking didn't cut it. So since I can't leave well enough alone, (and because I kept thinking that the instructions say only a 20 minute soak and the recommendation is to keep the clams in an open bowl in the fridge so they can breathe) I had to go looking for more information on what to do with these little.... darlings on the web once they got in the fridge.  Now I am convinced that I am drowning the clams.   (yes boys and girls your heard right, I became worried I was drowning an aquatic creature!)  Look when you have a plan for dinner and have some beautiful (3 dozen) clams in the fridge, you want to be doing right by them.  I mean after all this is a meal they are going to die for.  So, after a couple of hours under fresh water in the fridge, I drain them and put them into a colander in a bowl in the fridge. (to breathe!)  I am totally convinced that both options are wrong, but as any logical person would do, I do both!  Well then it is time to cook. (7:00ish)  What do I do, decide it is time for another soak while I am doing some last minute prep.  (remember BOTH are wrong in my mind)  Well after all that insanity, the clams were fine, there was almost no grit, and every one of those bad boys opened up! (yay!)

   Linguine With Clams And Chorizo 
 36  manila or littleneck clams
           -(about 1-1/2 pounds)
      1 lb linguine
      2 T  olive oil
      8    to 10 ounces good-quality Mexican chorizo,casing removed
      2    medium shallots,finely chopped
      4    medium garlic cloves,finely chopped
           Salt
           Freshly ground black pepper
    3/4 c  vodka
    1/4 c  finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Fill a large bowl with cold water and place the clams in the water
(they should be covered). Let soak for 10 minutes, then drain. Scrub
the clams under cold water and set aside.
Fill a large pot with heavily salted water and bring to a boil. Cook
the pasta according to the package directions.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large, straight-sided
pan with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. When the oil
shimmers, add the chorizo and break it up with the back of a spoon.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 6 minutes. Add the
shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring
occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Return the
pasta to the pot and set aside.
Remove the straight-sided pan from heat, carefully add the vodka, and
stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the
reserved clams, cover, and steam until the clams open, about 3 to 5
minutes. (Discard any that don't open.)
Add the clams, chorizo, reserved pasta water, and parsley to the pot
with the pasta and stir to combine.