Italy / Sauces & condiments
Spaghetti with Clams in White Wine Sauce
This recipe is an Americanized version of spaghetti alle vongole, a Neapolitan dish that's popular throughout Italy. The traditional, Neapolitan version calls for clams, spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, parsley, salt, black pepper and sometimes red pepper flakes. This American version adds butter, white wine and sometimes cream to the traditional ingredients.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- clams, also known as carpet clams8 oz
- garlic, minced or pressed2 clove
- red pepper flakes, large pinch1 pinch
- white wine1/2 cup
- lemon, zest or juice1
- lime, zest1/2
- spaghetti, enough for the number of people to be served
- flat-leaf parsley1 handful
- salted butter1 oz
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 13 steps
Put a large saucepan of water on the heat, and bring to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti, keeping an eye on the cooking time to ensure that the spaghetti does not overcook.
Put the clams into a separate small saucepan with the white wine and poach gently for about 2 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside.
Pour a generous quantity of olive oil into a small frying pan, and heat up.
Add the garlic cloves, chillies, chopped parsley, and the lemon zest.
Heat everything for about 3 minutes.
Now add about ½ of the white wine the clams were cooked in.
Continue to heat for a few minutes on a high heat to induce a slight reduction.
Add the cooked clams to the sauce and turn the heat off completely.
Once the pasta is cooked drain it through a sieve or colander and return to the saucepan.
Add the salted butter to the pasta and mix through thoroughly. This will induce the sauce to thicken a little.
Add the cooked clams to the sauce and the pasta.
Mix up thoroughly ensuring you do not damage the clams.
Serve in a high-sided bowl, ensuring that each guest gets their fair share of clams.
