New Haven Clam Pie Pizza

Name: New Haven Clam Pie Pizza
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Cornmeal, for pizza peel; 1 recipe Pizza Dough or 1 pound store-bought dough; 2 cloves garlic, pressed; 1 1/2 oz. pecorino Romano, grated (about 3/4 cup); 30 shelled raw littleneck clams; 1/4 c. olive oil; 3 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano; 2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; Lemon wedges, for serving

This classic dish has been a fave in Connecticut for generations.

By Charlyne MattoxPublished: Mar 17, 2021

Be the first to review!

Jump to recipe

Brian Woodcock

Yields:

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 5 mins

Countless travelers heading out of New York City on their way through southern Connecticut have ended up in the small town of New Haven for lunch, only to discover that perhaps the region's best pizza isn't in New York at all. This clam pie is traditionally baked blisteringly hot in coal-fired ovens and served with a glass of the region's famous white birch soda.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Ingredients

Cornmeal, for pizza peel
1 recipe Pizza Dough or 1 pound store-bought dough
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 1/2 oz. pecorino Romano, grated (about 3/4 cup)
30 shelled raw littleneck clams
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 500°F with a pizza stone or steel on the top rack. Dust a wood pizza peel or an unrimmed baking sheet with cornmeal.
2. Step 2Stretch dough to 1/4-inch thickness (about 16 inches in diameter); place on prepared peel. (Or divide dough into two pieces and, working with one piece at a time, stretch dough to 1/4-inch thickness [about 12 inches in diameter]; place on prepared peel.) Top with (half each, if making two pizzas) garlic, pecorino, clams, oil, and oregano. Gently slide pizza onto pizza stone.
3. Step 3Bake until golden brown and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and toppings, if applicable. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges alongside.