Spaghetti alle vongole
Vongole or clams make a classic Italian supper tossed with linguine and herbs. The clams are cooked in dry white wine, which combined with the natural clam juice make a lovely rich sauce for the pasta. Serve as a smart main for 2 or a starter for 4.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlicpeeled and finely sliced
- 1kg live clamswell scrubbed (discard any that don’t shut tightly when tapped on the side of the sink)
- 100ml dry white wine
- 150g spaghetti
- 25g butterchilled
- a large handful parsleyfinely chopped
- 1 lemonfor a squeeze of juice (optional)
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal592
- fat29.3g
- saturates9.2g
- carbs59.2g
- fibre3g
- protein22.8g
- salt0.36g
Method
step 1
Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Heat the oil in a medium pan and fry the garlic gently until softened but not coloured. Increase the heat, add the clams, pour over the wine and cover tightly with a lid. Cook for just 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then until the clams open.
step 2
Remove from the heat and, using a slotted spoon, lift the clams out and put into a bowl. Return the pan to the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. set aside.
step 3
Remove half the clams from their shells, leaving the meat with the unshelled clams. This provides less work when eating.
step 4
Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for around 8-10 minutes or until only just tender, stirring occasionally to keep the strands separate. Drain in a colander.
step 5
Drop the butter into the clam and wine juice and stir into the sauce until it thickens. Return all the clams to this liquid – including those in their shells – then add the spaghetti and chopped parsley. Season with black pepper and toss well together. Serve immediately.
