Spaghetti alle vongole (Spaghetti with Baby Clams)
A classic Italian pasta dish, Spaghetti alle vongole - or Spaghetti with Baby Clams - is made with clams, olive oil, garlic, and parsley. It's a simple but filling dish that is sure to impress!
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 17 ounces fresh baby clams
- 2 tablespoons salt, to clean the clams
- filtered or bottled water, to clean the clams
- 2 garlic cloves
- a bunch of fresh parsley
- 7 ounces spaghetti, 3.5 ounces per person
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Clean the clams: The day before or at least 4-5 hours beforehand, clean the baby clams. Dissolve the salt in a bowl with enough filtered or bottled water to cover the clams. Add the clams to the salted water, cover, and refrigerate. This helps them open and release any sand that might be trapped inside.
- Mince the garlic cloves. Also rinse and dry the parsley, then finely chop it and set aside.
- Cook the pasta in a pot of generously salted water according to package instructions until al dente (don't overcook).
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook over low heat until golden and fragrant. Stir regularly.
- Remove the bowl with the baby clams from the fridge. Drain and rinse them well, ensuring all sand is cleaned off. Remove any broken clams.
- Add the cleaned clams to the pan with the garlic. Pour in the white wine and gently toss, then cover the pan with a lid and cook for a few minutes until the clams open.
- Add the chopped parsley, salt and black pepper to the pan. Mix well.
- Drain the cooked pasta, but keep a bit of the pasta water for the sauce.
- Add the spaghetti to the pan with the clams and mix well. Then add a bit of the pasta water (about 1/3 cup or more if needed), mixing again to create a slightly creamy sauce.
- Serve the pasta dish hot, garnished with more fresh parsley on top.
Notes
- Cleaning the baby clams is crucial, otherwise, you may end up with a sandy dish. Use filtered or bottled water if your tap water contains chlorine. When cleaning them, discard any clam that appears to be broken.
- To cook spaghetti properly, generously salt the water and don’t break the spaghetti in half. Move the spaghetti around as they start to soften. Don’t add olive oil to the pasta water as it would create a film and prevent the other ingredients from sticking to the pasta.
- Pasta water is the key to making the slightly creamy sauce, so don’t discard all of the pasta water when draining the spaghetti.
- Traditionally this dish is served with the clam shells, but you can remove them before mixing the spaghetti in the pan if you prefer.
- Don't consume clams that did not open during cooking.
- Spaghetti alle vongole should be eaten right after it’s cooked, otherwise, it may be dry.
Nutrition
Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 945IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
