In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil and sauté the garlic. Add the clams and pour in some white wine. Cover and cook until the clams release some liquid and open up. Note: If any clams do not open, discard them.

Once the clams have opened, turn off the heat. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil for the pasta.

Remove the shells from half of the clams, leaving the rest in their shells.

Peel a strip of lemon zest and add it to the pasta cooking water. Add salt and cook the pasta until al dente (for example, if the package says 12 minutes, cook for about 9 minutes).

Drain the pasta and transfer it to the skillet with the clams. Toss together, adding a little pasta cooking water if needed. Be careful not to let it dry out!

Chop the parsley, grind some black pepper, and add red pepper flakes if desired. Add to the pasta. Use a ladle and a fork or kitchen tongs to twirl a portion of linguine into a nest. Garnish with grated lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper, and parsley.