Serves 6

Tom Valenti, the chef at Manhattan's Butterfield 81, has a knack for transforming a classic dish with one or two powerful flavors.
The ingredients can be prepared the night before and combined just before serving.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

For Sauce:
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped Spanish onion
1 celery rib, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
One 28-ounce can peeled whole plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
1 teaspoon finely chopped marjoram
1 bay leaf

For Sausages:
1 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed, sausages cut into 1 inch pieces

For Pasta:
1 pound short tubular pasta, such as ditalini or tubetti

For Clams:
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 dozen small clams, scrubbed and rinsed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

RECIPE METHOD

FOR SAUCE: Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery and half of the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, marjoram and bay leaf, cover partially and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.

FOR SAUSAGES: Heat a large skillet. Add the sausages and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the sausages to a dish.

FOR PASTA: In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again.

FOR CLAMS: In a large saucepan, heat the wine with the remaining garlic. Add the clams, cover and cook over moderately high heat until they open, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to a bowl and let cool, then remove the clams from their shells. Strain the cooking liquid, leaving behind any grit.

TO SERVE: Reheat the tomato sauce in a large saucepan. Add the sausages and cook over moderate heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pasta, clam liquid and crushed red pepper and reheat thoroughly, about 8 minutes. Add the clams and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared through Step 4. Refrigerate the clams in their cooking liquid and the other components separately for up to 1 day.