Littleneck suggestions.

Make the ravioli shaped like clam shells. Mix clams with a duxelle type mixture. Serve with a Sauce Nantua drizzled over it.

The classic Nantua is a bit more complex then just Bechamel

  Its a mirepoix with herbs sauteed then crawfish and shrimp shells and heads then flour, fish or clam ,tomato puree and brandy ,and strain. Can be done with all shrimp also .If you use clam liquid from cooking strain through cheesecloth twice.

You could also use fish as some sort of mousse to fill your ravioli together with your clams.

Maybe it's a good idea to use not too strong tasting white fish such as sole or even cod. It involves the use of raw fish, eggwhite and cream mixed into a paste. Just make sure every ingredient and the mixingbowl are icecold.

Start with blitzing the raw fish into a paste. Now add icecold eggwhite a bit at a time; I would guess around 15-20% eggwhite to the fish volume. After the eggwhites are incorporated completely, add icecold cream untill it comes together nicely; around 10% of the fish volume. S&P!! Let set in the fridge, it will come out as a ferm paste/mousse.

I'm not sure when to add the whole clams; just before the mixture goes in the fridge or just when filling the ravioli? You could mix a small handfull of clams together with the fish though, maybe steam them shortly first, just make sure they are also icecold before using them?

And how about canneloni? Using partially cooked lasagna sheets to roll the filling in. You may first have to cut the sheets in 2 after they are cooked or the canneloni will be too big. Filling maybe made with ricotta loosened with some (reduced) cooking liquid of the clams, bit of cayenne, chopped parcely, panko and an egg as binders and finally the clams.

Mix all and roll into the soft lasagna sheets, cover with a little sauce, tiny bit of grated gruyère and let color under your ovengrill. Don't know about the sauce yet, I'm thinking light creamsauce flavored with the clam cooking juices but a light tomatosauce would do perfectly too.

I am writing in reference to your topic, recipes for Little Neck Clams ... I have a couple of recipes that might interest you. 

*** Clams alla Napoletana ...

2 1/4 lbs. Little Necks Fresh

12 oz. Plum ripe juicy tomatoes

3 tblsps extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 small bunch of chopped parsley

a splash ( a shot glass of ) of white Italian wine

1) rinse the clams carefully and cover in cold water 1 hour.

2) rinse parsley.

3) peel garlic and chop and add chopped parsley together in a bowl.

4) in a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic parsley mixture.

5) sauté for a few minutes on low heat.

6) blanch the plum tomatoes in boiling water. Drain and peel, and then squeeze gently to remove seeds and then chop.

7) drain the clams and add to the tomato, garlic and parsley mixture.

8) Rattle and gently shake the pan often. As the clams open, remove from the pan and put on a platter.

9) discard un-opened clams.

10) serve the clams with a drizzle of the sauce, with a glass of Riesling from Alsace or Chenin Blanc from South Africa or Sonoma Chardonnay and some oven hot Italian style Baguette for dunking  

From my viewpoint I would not mix clams with Funghi ( wild mushrooms ) as mushrooms have a dominate flavour and would kill the clams so to speak.

Another exemplary Italian recipe is a good Linguini Vongole. If you are interested I could send it on the 5th when I return from my trip.

Another option would be Little Necks with Sake ! 

Happy Holidays

Margcata  

In NY I had little necks but here in Florida there are none . The clams they have are slightly larger and called Top Necks????

I'd never heard of top necks, so did a search. Turns out, there's actually another size between little necks and top necks.

Here's a pretty good description of standard clam sizes: http://www.shoemakerlittlenecks.com/size.html

there is also one refered to as middleneck down here to.

To my knowledge Little Necks and Cherrystone varieties hail from the Northeast ( in The USA and Canada as well as Galicia, Brittany - France and the Borküm area of Hamburg - Copnhagen, The Shetland Islands and Scadinavian zones ) and prefer colder seas. Same for Mussels.

Additionally, here is an interesting recipe for Little Necks ...

Little Necks with Sake ...

2 pounds Little Necks

1 cup Sake

1 cup Mineral water

2 tblsp butter cut into 4 pieces

2 scallions thinly sliced or leek if you prefer

Togarashi spice blend which is :  sesame seeds, sea weed and cayenne

1. fill a bowl with cold mineral water ad add 1 tblsp of salt and the little neck clams ( let stand 1 hr. )

2. in deep skillet combine the sake and the butter and water and bring to boil ( cover skillet )

3. then add the clams and simmer for 4 mins.

Serve with a Sake, or  Sonoma Chardonnay or Riesling and some Daikon sliced and Ginger ... and a hint of Wasabi if you wish !