INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

Our recipe for the classic pasta spaghetti alle vongole, or in the Neapolitan dialect, spaghetto a vongole.

1 kg clams - 350 gr spaghetti - Extra virgin olive oil - 1 clove of garlic - Chopped parsley, to taste, stems reserved - A dash of dry white wine - Salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

1. Place the clams in a bowl and cover with cold water and a handful of coarse salt. Leave for 2-3 hours so the clams full of sand will purge, then drain off the water and salt and rinse well.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil, garlic, and parsley stalks in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the clams and deglaze with white wine. Season with a pinch of pepper and let the alcohol evaporate, then cover with a lid.
4. Cook the clams over high heat for a few minutes. As soon as the shells are open, turn off immediately.
5. Shuck the clams and set them aside. Strain the sauce and add it back to the saucepan.
6. When the spaghetti is about 3/4 of the way cooked, transfer them with tongs directly to the clam sauce. Finish cooking the spaghetti over low-medium heat, adding reserved pasta water as needed, and stirring quickly so a creamy sauce will form.
7. Once the pasta is al dente, turn off and stir in shucked clams and chopped parsley. Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil and cracked black pepper, if desired.

Thanks to Deborah D’Adetta and Italy Segreta for this recipe.

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