Spaghetti with Clams is one of those dishes that reminds me of a great Italian lunch in the open-air drinking some good wine and being surrounded by a great company. I must confess I learned the secrets from my dad, who, in the past, made this dish quite often, turning it into a creamy and garlicky pasta.
Spaghetti with clams is a dish typical of the Italian culinary tradition, made with few simple and fresh ingredients. I will share with you all the tips to make this dish- while it might sound intimidating, it is, in reality, effortless to make.
Why you will love this dish
– It requires 6 ingredients only.
– It provides you with a symphony of flavors from sweet to sour to creamy to garlicky
– This dish will be ready in 40 minutes from start to finish, excluding the time to soak the clams.
– This is a flavorsome seafood dish to serve to guests or for a romantic meal
– It is one of the classic dishes that if you love Italian cooking, you need to learn how to make
How to buy good quality clams
For the best result of this dish, it is essential to buy good quality clams. My tips are:
At the store:
– Buy clams at your local fish market store, that are usually kept on ice. You can buy them lose or sold in a net that should usually have a tag with the clams’ origins. If there is not tag, ask your fishmonk to show you where they are from.
– I advise not to buy clams that are preserved in a vacuum pack. I used them in the past, and I noticed a big difference in terms of the saltiness. Vacuum-packed clams contain more salt than fresh, live clams. If, for some reason, you want to control your intake of salt, opt for fresh, live clams. The only advantage of vacuum-packed clams is that you won’t need to soak them.
At home:
– Ensure the shell are entirely close, if they are open, they might not be good to eat.
– Lastly, they should smell like the sea and salty air. There should not be any strong fishy smells.
– You can preserve them for 48 hours, refrigerated, usually I buy them and cook them immediately.
And now that you bought great quality clams let’s prepare Spaghetti con le vongole, aka with clams.
How to prepare spaghetti with clams
I recently prepared this meal as the last dish to celebrate our trip to Italy, where we are now. The recipe I will describe is the typical recipe we prepare in Veneto. As you know I am from this region, therefore I am a bit biased.
First of all, soak the clams in water overnight if you plan to make this dish for lunch, or from the morning if you plan to make this dish for dinner. Rinse them well and change the water at least a few times to rinse them well. Soaking the clam in water is crucial to allow the clams to lose the sand they might contain.
In a pot, heat some EVOO and garlic, add the clams, and let them open. Discard those clams that are not opening as they are not suitable to eat. Turn the heat on low. Place a pot of water on the stovetop and bring the water to boil. Add salt.
When the water starts to boil, add the pasta. In the meantime, turn the heat on higher and add two tablespoons of white wine. Let it evaporate and when the pasta is ready, transfer it to the pot, add the parsley and serve immediately.
Spaghetti with Clams variations and substitutions
In Italy, Spaghetti with clams or Spaghetti con le vongole veraci, are popular all along the Italian coasts, but the recipe finds its origin in Naples and in Veneto. In Naples, usually, it is served with tomatoes, basil and sometimes a hint of chili. The Veneto regional dish is very popular in its white version, usually garlic, parsley, and white wine. At times, fresh cherry tomatoes are added.
In Venice, clams are called bevarasse if they are small. These clams are delicious and tasty, but they are not the best quality, The best quality clams are caparossoli, which usually defines those bigger and meatier clams.
A great choice, especially on the Venetian coast is risotto with clams.
This dish is suitable for fish lovers. It is not a gluten-free dish, but you can make it gluten-free if you sub the pasta with a gluten-free version.
It has a few variations that are worth trying: you can add some chili to give it a little bit of spiciness. You can sub the white wine with tomato sauce and add at your preference chili or not. Some other versions use fresh tomatoes instead of tomato sauce.
Look for more fish and seafood recipes? Try the Sicilian-Style Tuna or the Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Zucchine, Yellow Squash, and Tuna
Serving suggestions
This dish is as great as the main meal. As appetizers, you can have some Bruschetta with tomatoes, served with a Little Italian salad.
In terms of storing, I recommend eating the dish once cooked, as it is not optimal to reheat it.
Which wine to pair with Spaghetti alle Vongole
Spaghetti with vongole calls for white wine pairing.
A classic choice is a Pinot Grigio from Friuli. It is a dry white wine with medium acidity fruity and lemon notes that enhance the spaghetti’s simplicity with clams.
Other choices are Vernaccia from Tuscany, which has fruity and salty notes. It is a dry white wine with medium acidity and its salinity pairs very well with this seafood pasta.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pound clams fresh, local
- 1 pound pasta spaghetti or linguine
- 5 cloves garlic peeled, whole
- 4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup wine white, dry
Instructions
- First of all, soak the clams in water overnight if you plan to make this dish for lunch or from the morning if you plan to make this dish for dinner. Rinse them well and change the water at least a few times to rinse them well.
- In a pot, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic. When the garlic is sizzling add the clams, and let them open. Discard those clams that are not opening as they are not suitable to eat. Turn the heat on low and discard the garlic cloves.
- Place a pot of water on the stovetop and bring the water to boil. Add salt.
- When the water starts to boil, add the pasta. In the meantime, turn the heat on higher and add 2 tablespoons of white wine to the clams. Let it evaporate and when the pasta is ready, transfer it to the pot, add the parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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