Vongole Ripiene (Baked Stuffed Littleneck Clams)

16 Clams; littleneck

Or mussels 1/2 c Bread crumbs

1/2 ts Dried oregano

1 tb Italian parsley; minced

2 tb Parmesan cheese; freshly gra

Or pecorino 3 tb Olive oil; good quality

4 tb Dry white wine; or vermouth

Salt and pepper; freshly gro Or hot pepper flakes; to tas Recipe by: Christmas Memories with Recipes (Edward Giobbi) Inspect the clams and discard any clam that is not completely closed or doe not close when dropped into cold water. Open the clams, loosen each one fr its shell, and reserve its liquid. Discard the top shells. Place clams on the half shell on a baking sheet. Combine the breadcrumbs, oregano, parsley cheese, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the wine, and salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle a generous amount of the stuffing over the top of each clam. Strain the reserved clam juice and sprinkle it over the stuffing. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of wine into the bottom of the baking sheet. Prehea the broiler for about 5 minutes. Then broil the clams under high heat unti the breadcrumbs begin to brown. Pour the liquid in the baking sheet over t clams and serve immediately.