Also known as vongole, this is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It cooks up super quick and makes for a perfect summer dinner.
spaghetti and clams
yields:4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 lbs New Zealand Cockles, or 2-3 dozen little neck clams, scrubbed and rinsed*
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated on a microplane
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio
- 2 tbsp butter, optional
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 lb spaghetti
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Clean the clams: Thoroughly scrub the clams. Soak in cold water for a few minutes at a time, drain and replace with more cold water, and repeat this process until the water no longer contains sand and dirt, then strain.
- Boil the pasta water: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and reduce to a simmer until you're ready to cook the pasta.
- Make the sauce: Heat another large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is shimmering, add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and sautee until fragrant but careful not to burn, about 1-2 minutes. Next, add the wine, increase the heat to medium high, and bring to a simmer.
- Cook the Clams: Once the sauce is simmering, add your clams. Cover with a lid and cook until the clams open, about 2-4 minutes for smaller clams. Gently shake the pot as they cook to encourage them to open.* Once opened, turn off the heat and set aside to cool slightly until the pasta is done cooking.
- Cook the Pasta: Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook the pasta about 1 minute shy of al dente, as we will be finishing cooking the pasta in the clam broth. Save 1 cup of pasta water.
- Marry the Pasta and the Clams: Drain the pasta and add it back into the pot. Quickly pour the clam broth directly into the pot with the cooked pasta, leaving the clams and their shells behind. Turn the heat to medium high, add a few splashes of pasta water, the butter, and use tongs to toss the pasta in the sauce to coat for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add half of the parsley, and toss to coat. Taste and add the juice from the other half a lemon if needed.
- Plate and Serve: Plate the pasta and top with the clams, remaining parsley and serve.
