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Spaghetti Vongole

Spaghetti Vongole

This Italian dish is the classic Vongole Recipe. Vongole is Italian for ‘clams’. Although this recipe originates from Venice, it's so delicious that it's now become a classic Italian dish. There are slight variations of the vongole recipe; the most heated debates are around whether to use or not to use tomatoes. In this recipe I am going to use cherry tomatoes as I think they add special sweetness and nice touch to the dish.

The most important thing about this dish it is being quick, as the right timing is crucial. After making this dish several times you will master the technique of perfectly cooked clams and al dente pasta.

Vongole are usually sold ‘purged’ to remove sand and grit, if they haven’t been purged, place them in a large bowl of cool water for several hours, or overnight, at room temperature (if you refrigerate them they’ll close up and won’t ‘spit out’ the sand).

I you can’t find vongole clams alternatively you can use blue mussel, pipi, surf clam, Sydney cockle.

Spaghetti Vongole Recipe

Ingredients

1 kg small clams, scrubbed clean, socked in cold water for several hours
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 cloves garlic
10 cherry tomatoes
250 ml dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
400 g dried spaghetti
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 long chilli finely chopped

Serves 4

Method

Put a pan of water on to boil.

Meanwhile go through you cleaned clams discard any opened ones.

Add the pasta to the boiling water with a good pinch of salt and cook according to packet instructions until al dente.

About 5 minutes before your pasta is ready you should start cooking your clams– you'll have to be quick! Heat about 4 spoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic and chilli and stir over moderate heat until garlic softens, add salt and pepper, add chopped tomatoes. Increase heat, add wine and vongole. It will splutter and steam, so give everything a good shake and put the lid on the pan. After about 3 or 4 minutes the clams will start to open, so keep shuffling the pan around until all of them have opened. Take the pan off the heat and get rid of any unopened clams.

By now your pasta should be just about to be al dente perfect. Drain and add to the pan of clams along with the chopped parsley leaves and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Stir for a further minute or two to let all the beautiful clam juices be absorbed into the pasta. Serve right away. Bellissimo!

Simple Italian Recipe of Spaghetti Vongole for all seafood loves.