Spaghetti Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Spaghetti Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)
Description
Spaghetti Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams) brings together fresh clams, garlic, chili, parsley, and white wine to create a flavorful seafood pasta. The clams are first cleaned of sand by soaking in cold water, then briefly cooked with garlic and chili in olive oil until they open, releasing their juices. The spaghetti is cooked separately until al dente and reheated briefly with the clam sauce to absorb the flavors. A squeeze of lemon and fresh parsley adds brightness and herbal notes to the dish. The result is a pasta with tender clams and a light, fragrant sauce that highlights the freshness of the shellfish, with a subtle spicy kick from the bird's eye chili.
This pasta is often served immediately upon completion to preserve the clams' tender texture and delicate flavor. The simplicity of ingredients makes it a good choice when fresh clams are available and you want a seafood pasta that is light yet satisfying.
Ingredients
- 750 grams clams vongole, fresh
- 500 grams spaghetti
- 5 cloves garlic
- a few sprigs of flat leaf parsley
- 2 bird's eye chili red
- 2 lemon plural
- 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
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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