Linguine a la Vongola

I don't like going out for Italian food. It's never as good as what I ate every day at home. Most Italian restaurants serve up dishes from the northern provinces of Italy. Meats and macaroni covered in cream sauces or food overpowered by garlic an oregano. My father's expression was "not our food". (Actually that label was used to describe any food that Ma didn't cook.) 

Both sides of my family come from Avellino, a southern province in the Campagnia region of Italy, northeast of Naples. Sauces (called gravy in my family) from this region is tomato based. I miss Ma's cooking. Eggplant Parmigiana which graced our holiday and special occasion meals like Green Bean Casserole, her to die for home-made ravioli, and one of my favorites, Linguine a la Vongola (linguine with clams). Ma used canned clams.

There is one Italian restaurant in Worcester that I love. Leo's Ristorante. It's a small, neighborhood restaurant in the Italian section of the city. (where else!) The food is close to Ma's. We were at Leo's last week to celebrate The Young One's and my birthdays. 

Just look at that dish! It's such a beautiful presentation with the open clam shells. Heaven on a plate and so much better than Ma's. But, Shhhh, don't tell her.