Spaghetti alle Vongole (Pasta with Clams)

If you like shellfish and haven’t tried Spaghetti alle Vongole yet, you are really missing something.  Also known as Pasta with Clams, it’s a deliciously light pasta dish that will surely become a favorite in your household —- and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes!

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Napoli.  I will always associate spaghetti alle vongole with Napoli.

Not only because it originated from that city, but they prepare it so well.  

A dish straight out of the sea, that’s the best way to describe spaghetti with clams.  

And then, as you continue eating it, you get this subtle sweetness, a hint of heat from the chili, and freshness from the herb.

You just have to try it and judge for yourself!

IF YOU WANT MORE CLASSIC ITALIAN DISHES, THEN YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

• Pasta – as you can see in the image above, I used spaghetti for this pasta alle vongole recipe.

• Olive oil – I strongly suggest using extra virgin olive oil.

• Garlic – sliced thinly.

• Chili – the long, red type of chili; chopped thinly.

• White wine – any dry white wine will be great for making pasta with clams.

• Vongole – cleaned, and make sure you remove the ones with broken shells.

• Salt – for preparing the pasta.

• Parsley – flat-leaf parsley (also known as Italian parsley).

If you want to stay traditional, chop the parsley finely instead of how I’ve done it here.  Chopping it roughly is a personal preference. 🙂

Preparation

Start preparing your pasta alle vongole by bringing a pot of salted water to boil.

Cook the pasta as instructed in the package.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, heat olive oil on a medium or large pan over medium heat.

Once the oil is ready, add garlic and chopped chili (photo 1).

Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add the vongole (photo 2).

Pour the white wine over the vongole (photo 3).

Let the wine evaporate for a couple of minutes.

Cover pan with a lid for about two minutes.

Remove the lid and wait for the clams to open while mixing now and then (photo 4).

The pasta should already be cooked by now, so add them directly into the pan (photo 5).

Add the fresh parsley (photo 6).

Mix to combine everything evenly.

Transfer your spaghetti alle vongole into plates and garnish with more parsley, if desired.

Serve.

Recipe variation

• Tomatoes.  Pasta alle vongole in rosso is another variation of this dish.  

The main difference?  You guessed it, rosso contains tomatoes and sometimes fresh basil as well.

Make sure to give it a try if you are a fan of tomatoes!

• Peperoncino.  Also known as dried chili flakes, it is a great substitute for fresh chili.

• Linguine. This flatter cousin of spaghetti is an excellent alternative for making this dish. 

If you do a quick search, you will find that pasta with clams is generally only prepared with two types of pasta — spaghetti or linguine.

Helpful tips

• Make sure you clean the clams properly before adding them to the pan.  Chewing on sand is a sure way of ruining the dish.

• If you put a lot of salt in your pasta water, add less than what you generally use when preparing your preferred pasta for this dish.

• Taste the clam sauce before adding any salt. You might decide that it’s already perfectly seasoned for your taste.

Both tips will ensure that your pasta alle vongole will not turn out to be too salty.  

For reference, I always use less salt in the pasta water, and I never add any salt to the vongole.

• If you are not a fan of chili, use less or remove the seeds before adding them to the dish.

But do not skip it.  It complements the saltiness of the clams and the freshness of the parsley.

See how easy it is?  So, try this spaghetti alle vongole recipe tomorrow night — you will not regret it! 🙂