Anthony Bourdain's Favorite Meal To Cook At Home Was A Classic

The late Anthony Bourdain once recalled to Bon Appétit some of the most prized moments he looked forward to as a chef: returning home to cook for his daughter. "If I were to make something at home for a family meal, it would be linguine with white clam sauce," he confidently told the publication. "It makes me happy to cook it, and it goes over well around here."

The Bourdain household isn't the only place this classic dish brings comfort. Linguine served with clams is one of those recipes that can instantly transform the dinner table into a luxurious, easy affair, and the recipe is an approachable one to master. Bourdain included a list of instructions to make the dish in his cookbook "Appetites," prompting one home chef to write on their blog, "This was by far the best clams in white sauce recipe you will ever make. It will give your Italian joint shivers when you compare this to what they offer." Bourdain knew exactly what he was doing.

As Anthony Bourdain told "CTV Your Morning," he compiled a list of recipes in his cookbook that he would make at home for his young daughter and friends. With the linguine and clam dish, he set out to bring professional taste and flair to the at-home chef — as he explained while breezily preparing the dish on screen. Made with oil, butter, and red pepper flakes, the dish highlights the clams with a touch of mild heat, and when they're combined with the texture of freshly cooked pasta, each bite leads into the next.

"It gives you really stinky, garlicky breath," he warned with a laugh when describing the rich, buttery recipe. To finish the meal, Bourdain added a generous slab of butter to the serving bowl of pasta and clams, adding that this recipe is the perfect meal to serve alongside hearty pieces of bread. You'll want to sop up every last drop of this sauce.