Pasta Vongole

Pasta Vongole is a great casual dinner for Summer. The simple white wine garlic sauce flavored with lemon, chilli and parsley is the perfect showcase for the sweet, juicy clams.

What is Vongole?

Vongole is Italian for “clams”. Pasta Vongole or Spaghetti alle Vongole therefore is just pasta  dish served with a clam sauce, a classic dish in Italy.

Ingredients needed

I used frozen, whole clams for this Pasta Vongole recipe, however this is the perfect recipe to make if you can find fresh clams. Any small clams will work. Manila clams and Littleneck clams are good options if you can find them. The sauce consist of olive oil, fresh garlic cloves, a pinch of chilli flakes/red pepper flakes, a few teaspoons of lemon juice, white wine, butter and fresh parsley. Butter (I used salted but unsalted butter can be used too) adds a touch of creaminess to the sauce. I used spaghetti but linguine can also be used. Long pasta is definitely better for this dish, in my opinion. The white wine can be substituted with an extra squeeze of lemon and half cup clam juice or chicken stock. I used Sauvignon Blanc but any dry white wine will work well.

How to make Pasta Vongole (summary)

1. Clean and sort the clams: If you’re using whole clams (which is what I would suggest), make sure they are closed before cooking. If they are open, gently tap them on the kitchen counter and they should close. If they don’t, discard them. If using frozen clams, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge. They should open easily once thawed. Soak the clams in a large bowl of heavily salted water for 20-30 minutes. In this time, they should release any sand or sediment. After this time, rinse them well under cold water to wash off any sand and excess salt.
2. Cook the clams: Steam the clams with a cup of wine or stock until they are open.You can either use a steamer or a large pot with a lid set over medium heat. Discard any clams that are still closed then set aside the remaining clams. The cooking liquid can be strained (there might be some sand/grit in the bottom of the pan) and added to the sauce for extra flavor.
3. Make the sauce: In a large skillet or pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a minute. Pour in the lemon juice and white wine then bring to a simmer. Add the clams and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly. Stir in the butter and allow to melt into the sauce then sprinkle over parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Boil the pasta in a large pot of water until al dente then drain and reserve a cup of the pasta water.
4. Serve: Toss the sauce with cooked and drained pasta and a splash of the pasta water then serve immediately.

Can I make this in advance?

The sauce is definitely best eaten cooked fresh. The clams tend to go rubbery when they are reheated. The clams can be soaked and cooked up to a day in advance and kept in the fridge before adding to the sauce and heating through.

What to serve with pasta vongole

Although this is a meal all on its own it would be delicious served with a green side salad and some crusty bread or garlic bread.

• Easy side salad
• Garlic bread

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