Spaghetti with Clams
Ingredients
- 400 gSpaghetti (dry)
- 1 kgClam (cleaned)
- 3 pcGarlic (thinly sliced)
- 100 mlDry white wine (good quality)
- 4 tbspExtra virgin olive oil (first press)
- 1 pcFlat-leaf parsley (chopped)
- 1 pcHot chili pepper (seeded and chopped)
- 1 pinchGray sea salt (for pasta water)
- 500 gClams (Vongole Veraci) (well rinsed)
Method
Glistening pasta coated in a garlicky, spicy sea juice. The shells open up, releasing briny water that binds everything into a fluid, coating sauce.
- 1
Soak the clams and palourdes-veraci in fresh water with sea salt so they release any sand. Rinse several times until the water is clear.
- 2
In a skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil. Sauté the minced garlic and chili without burning them. The garlic should be golden and fragrant.
- 3
Add the clams and palourdes-veraci to the skillet, deglaze with dry white wine. Cover immediately. When the shells are open, they are ready.
- 4
Cook the spaghetti in boiling water with little salt (the shellfish juice is already salty). Remove the pasta 2 minutes before the end of the indicated time.
- 5
Transfer the pasta to the skillet with the shellfish. Add a ladle of cooking water. Stir vigorously to create an emulsion that coats the spaghetti. Finish with the chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get this dish right?
- Don't over-salt the pasta water; the shellfish release a lot of salt as they open.
- The sauce binds thanks to the pasta starch and clam water; don't discard all the cooking water.
- If a shell remains closed after cooking, toss it; it was dead before hitting the pan.
How long does this dish keep?
This dish does not keep. Shellfish toughen when reheated and pasta loses its texture.
