This post appeared first on Italian Kitchen Confessions In October 2020. Its content has been updated.
Spaghetti with Clams in a garlicky white wine sauce is an elegant and easy dish to make this time of the year. Spaghetti with Clams is one of those dishes that reminds me of a great Italian lunch in the open-air sipping some good white wine and being surrounded by a great company. I must confess I learned the secrets of this clam pasta recipe from my dad, who, in the past, made this dish quite often, turning it into a creamy and garlicky pasta, that tasted so fresh and light!
Spaghetti with clams which translates in Italian to spaghetti alle vongole is a dish typical of the Italian culinary tradition. It is 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 and you will wonder why you have not tried this recipe earlier!
Why you will love this dish
– Clam spaghetti recipe requires only 6 ingredients and you will love it as it is very simple!
– Spaghetti with clams 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.
Ingredients for Spaghetti with Clams
To make this classic Italian recipe you will need good quality ingredients:
Pasta: this dish call for long noodles. Spaghetti are the best shape as you want a pasta that has some bite, but it is not too thick to ensure every bite is well balanced between the size of the clams and the spaghetti. Ensure your pasta is made out of a few ingredients such as durum wheat semolina and water. Many pasta brand in US are adding addictive, resulting in a pasta that loose its bite, and it is also more complex to digest. When possible chose bronze cut variety. In fact the rough texture created by bronze dies allows sauces to cling and penetrate better, improving the mouthfeel and flavor of your pasta dish.
Parsley: you will need a few sprigs of Italian flat parsely and you will use it all. Chop the leaves finely to sprinkle on top at the end. Keep the stems and use them to cook the clams.
Garlic: you will need 2-3 cloves of garlic per person, the secret of this flavorful sauce lies in the garlic too. I suggest to peel it and chop it in half andthen remove it right before the end. I am not recommeding to mince it, as it will govee a too much intense flavor. The beauty of this dish lies in its balance of flavors.
EVOO: this recipe calls for olive oil, not butter or cream.
White wine: you will need a cup of white wine to give a little bit of acidity to the dish.
Clams: for thsi recipe you will need Littleneck clams, possibly fresh. Canned or frozen are not ideal as part of the fun is to suck the shells! Clams needs to be on the small size. Check below my tips to buy clams easily.
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!
How to prepare spaghetti with clams
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 , garlic cloves chopped in half and 2-3 sprigs of flat Italian parsley. Once the oil shimmers, 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 reaches roaring boil. Once the salt has dissolved, add the pasta and cook it until al dente accoringly to package instructions.
In the meantime, turn the clams on higher and add two tablespoons of white wine. Let it evaporate and when the pasta is ready, transfer it to the pot, add a few tablespoon of pasta water, mix it well and finally add the parsley. 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.
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:
For more heat: add some chili to give it a little bit of spiciness.
For more umami taste: add some freshly grated bottarga on top.
If you like to incorporate vegetables: zucchine, zucchini flowers
For a red sauce: you can add some tomatoes fresh or canned if you are more inclined to a red sauce spaghetti recipe.
More seafood pasta recipes for you
If you are pescatarina, or simply love seafood you can find several recipes on my blog:
Mussels Spaghetti with Spicy Cherry Tomatoes: this is a great recipe if you love shellfish.
Easy Smoked Salmon Mascarpone Linguine: this recipe is quick, but tremendously luxurious. One of the favorite of my husband, Rob.
Pasta with Sardines (Pasta con le Sarde): a Sicilian recipe: this is great as it is an easy pantry pasta meal, enriched by saffron, pine nuts and raisins.
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Zucchine, Yellow Squash, and Tuna: great when summer squash is in season, is light, fresh and makes a complete meal.
Shrimp Scampi Pasta (Italian Style) You can never go wrong with this timeless recipe, ideal for a weeknight meal.
Serving suggestions
This dish is great as the main meal. My recommendations are to have an appetizer, followed by a light salad.
As appetizers I suggest some Baked Mussels, or Scallops in Brown Butter Lemon Sauce. If you prefer something lighter, chose instead Bruschetta with tomatoes,
Clams spaghetti are great served with a Little Italian salad on the side and some crusty ciabatta bread to collect all the sauce- which we call making the classic scarpetta!
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.
I hope you liked Spaghetti with Clams recipe! If you try this recipe and you liked it, please leave a star review below! I would be very appreciative of your comments! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @Italian_kitchen_confessions I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pound clams fresh, local
- 1 pound pasta spaghetti or linguine
- 5 cloves garlic peeled, whole
- 6 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- ¼ 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 the sprigs of parsley. :et 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 freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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