• Make compound butter and set aside.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water at a rolling boil for about 4 minutes, if fresh; about 7-9 minutes if dried. (See note above.) Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water when draining pasta.
• Combine the pasta water, clam steaming liquid, compound butter, preserved lemon, lemon juice, fava beans and clams in a sauté pan and turn on low heat. Once the sauce begins to combine, add the cooked pasta and raise heat to medium-high heat. Begin to toss the pasta and agitate to activate the residual gluten in the sauce to help thicken and adhere to noodles, about 2 minutes.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and a splash more lemon juice, and maybe a splash of optional chili oil.
• Twirl the pasta into your favorite bowls, spoon on the chili oil (if using) and a sprinkling of parsley. Make note of those salty, sweet and acidic bits that help take the flavor of this dish to the next level.

For the Chili and Herb Compound Butter:

• Combine all ingredients with a whisk or spoon until well incorporated.

Clam Prep Primer:

• When buying clams, you can ask the fishmonger if they’ll shuck them for you. If they can’t shuck them, ask if the clams have been cleaned. If they’ve been cleaned, you don’t need to soak them to removed grit and sand.
• To steam clams, put a few inches of water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan fitted with a steamer and a tight-fitting lid. (You can use a colander if you don’t have a steamer). Bring water to a simmer. Gently put the shells into the steamer and cook for 2-10 minutes, (the time varies depending on the size of the clams or if you’re cooking shucked clams) or until the clam shells have opened. Keep a close eye on them, as you don’t want them to get rubbery. The internal temperature of the clam will be between 130°-135°F.
• If any shells remain closed after steaming, discard the clam.
• For added flavor, replace steaming water with white wine. Reserve this liquid to add to the pasta sauce for a deeper oceanic and flavorful pasta sauce.
• Remove clams from the steamer and let cool just enough that you can remove the meat from the shell. Strain remaining steaming liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve for sauce.