Spaghetti alle Vongole

Spaghetti with Clams, Garlic and Parsley

Clams, garlic, olive oil and parsley. The sauce is the liquor the clams release when they open, and the pasta finishes cooking in it so that the starch turns it creamy. There is no tomato in this version and no cheese, ever.

The Italian recipe read soaks the clams in salted water for two hours, opens them in a covered pan with oil, garlic and parsley stalks, strains the liquor, shells about two-thirds of the clams and finishes the half-cooked spaghetti in the liquor until a creamy sauce forms.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 kg live small clams (palourdes)
  • 400 g spaghetti
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
  • A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, stalks and leaves separated, leaves chopped
  • Black pepper
  • Salt

Method

  1. Purge the clams Soak the clams in a bowl of cold water with 2 tbsp salt for 2 hours, then lift them out and rinse. Throw away any that are broken or that stay open when tapped.
  2. Open the clams Heat the oil, garlic and parsley stalks in a wide pan for 1 minute. Add the clams, cover and cook over a high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking, until they open. Throw away any that stay shut.
  3. Strain Lift out the clams. Strain the liquor through a fine sieve into a bowl, leaving any grit behind. Take about two-thirds of the clams out of their shells. Wipe the pan and return the liquor to it.
  4. Finish the pasta in the sauce Boil the spaghetti in lightly salted water for 5 minutes less than the packet time. Lift it into the pan of clam liquor and cook over a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing and adding pasta water a little at a time, until the pasta is al dente and the liquid has become a light cream.
  5. Serve Add all the clams and the chopped parsley, toss for 30 seconds, grind over some pepper and serve at once.

Food safety

Buy clams live and cook them the same day. Discard any with broken shells or that do not close when tapped before cooking, and any that have not opened after cooking.

Salt the pasta water lightly. The clam liquor is already salty.

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