Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil, and salt it liberally: 1 tablespoon salt for every 2 quarts of water. You’ll be preparing the sauce while the pasta cooks, so work quickly!
Peel and mince the garlic cloves, and grate almost a teaspoon of zest from a fresh lemon. Chop the parsley. Open the canned clams and set aside.
Add the pasta to the boiling water, and set a timer for 1-2 minutes less than the recommended time from the package. While the pasta cooks in violently boiling water, make the clam sauce.
Heat olive oil on medium heat in a skillet. Add minced garlic (and crushed red pepper, if you’re using it), and cook just a bit – under a minute. Let the garlic fragrance bloom, but do not let the garlic get brown. Add the wine to the pan, then only the juices from the clams. Raise the temperature to high and bring the liquid to a boil, letting the sauce reduce while the pasta finishes cooking.
The sauce should be reduced by two-thirds just about the time that the pasta has finished cooking. Reduce the heat, add the chopped clams, and then the lemon zest and chopped parsley.
When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain it, put it in a serving bowl, and pour the sauce over. Toss to combine, sprinkle with black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.