Casinò di vongole

Originating from Rhode Island, clams casino is made with littlenecks or cherrystone clams and bacon that are first seasoned and cooked, then placed together with breading on a half of a clam shell, and finished by either baking or broiling the concoction. Despite many variations, the one constant ingredient is bacon, and the finished clams are often sprinkled with fresh parsley. The dish became extremely popular with Italian-Americans and is served in almost every trattoria in Manhattan’s Little Italy.