Tom's Spicy Macaroni with Clams and Sausage

• MAKE-AHEAD

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
2. 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped Spanish onion
3. 1 celery rib, finely chopped
4. 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
6. One 28-ounce can peeled whole plum tomatoes
7. 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
8. 1 teaspoon finely chopped marjoram
9. 1 bay leaf
10. 1 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed, sausages cut into 1-inch pieces
11. 1 pound short tubular pasta, such as ditalini or tubetti
12. 1/4 cup dry white wine
13. 2 dozen small clams, scrubbed and rinsed
14. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
15. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16. 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again.
4. 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.
5. 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.