Spaghetti alle Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)
Local name: Spaghetti alle vongole
In short: Spaghetti tossed with fresh clams, garlic, white wine, chili and parsley in a light, briny sauce. A seaside classic from Naples and beyond. It takes about 30 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 595 kcal
Spaghetti alle vongole is a seaside pasta eaten all along the Italian coast, and a Christmas Eve favorite in Naples. Small clams are opened in a covered pan with garlic, white wine and a little chili, then their salty juices become the sauce. Some cooks add cherry tomatoes, but this is the white version, in bianco. Soak the clams well so the dish has no grit, and take the pan off the heat the moment the shells open.
Instructions
- Put the clams in a large bowl of cold water with the coarse salt and leave for 30 minutes so they spit out any sand. Lift them out, discard any that are cracked or stay open when tapped, and rinse.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until 2 minutes short of al dente. Keep a mug of the pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, warm 3 tablespoons of the oil with the garlic and chili in a wide pan with a lid over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, until the garlic is pale gold.
- Add the clams and the wine, cover and cook over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until the shells have opened. Throw away any that stay shut.
- Add the drained spaghetti to the clams with a ladle of pasta water. Toss over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce is glossy and the pasta is al dente.
- Turn off the heat, add the parsley and the remaining oil and toss again. Serve immediately, with an empty bowl on the table for the shells.
Tips
- Taste the sauce before adding any salt, because the clam juices are salty. Use a little less salt in the pasta water than usual.
- To make a red version, add 8 halved cherry tomatoes with the clams. Frozen clams in the shell also work if you cannot find fresh ones.
Questions and answers
How do I clean clams for pasta?
Soak them in cold, salted water for 30 minutes, then rinse. Discard any with cracked shells or any that do not close when tapped, because they are not alive.
Do Italians add cheese to seafood pasta?
Traditionally no. Cheese is thought to cover the delicate flavor of clams and most seafood. Breadcrumbs toasted in olive oil are sometimes scattered on top for crunch instead.
What if some clams do not open?
Throw them away. Clams that stay shut after cooking were probably dead before they went into the pan, and they are not safe to eat.
How long does it take to make Spaghetti alle Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)?
About 30 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Spaghetti alle Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)?
About 595 kcal per serving, with 22 g of protein, 75 g of carbohydrates and 23 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 595 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 75 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 700 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
