Spaghetti Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)

Spaghetti vongole, literally spaghetti with clams, is a classic Italian food and one of my favorite pasta dishes. Unfortunately, I have been to countless Italian restaurants where the spaghetti vongole was really left wanting.

I’ve had it with more sand than the local beach, enough raw garlic to see off a vampire, and, God forbid, with added cream. Follow the recipe below to the letter and you will end up with a spaghetti vongole better than most places in town.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 750 grams fresh clams (vongole)
• 500 grams spaghetti
• 5 cloves garlic
• a few sprigs of flat leaf parsley
• 2 red bird's eye chilis
• 2 lemons
• extra virgin olive oil
• white wine
• sea salt flakes
• black pepper freshly ground

Instructions

• Place the clams in a strainer and rest it over a large mixing bowl. With the clams completely submerged, run cold water over them for about 10 minutes.
• Lift the clams out of the water and you should find a fair bit of sand in the bottom of the bowl.
• Cook the pasta until al’dente and rinse until cold.
• Arrange 4 serving plates or bowls.
• Place a pot of boiling salted water to boil.
• Sauté the garlic in a liberal amount of olive oil for about a minute and add the chili.
• Once the garlic is very lightly browned, immediately remove all the contents of the pan and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Wipe the pan clean and return to the heat.
• Add the clams and a splash of wine.
• Keep the pan moving and as soon as the clams open, remove and place them in the bowl of garlic one at a time with some tongs.
• Once all the clams are ready, plunge the pasta back into the water.
• While the pasta warms up, place the pan back on the heat, add the clams and garlic, sprinkle with chopped parley and more olive oil if needed, and add a splash of white wine.
• Drain the pasta, taste for one last final seasoning, combine everything together, and toss with the juice of one or two lemons. Serve garnished with a little more parsley.
• Enjoy with crusty white bread and a glass of chilled white.
• This dish is quite versatile and goes with sweeter whites as well as with drier varieties.

Notes

Related: Shrimp Pasta Salad Related: Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Related: Spaghetti Amatriciana Related: Garganelli with Squid and Saffron