Spaghetti with clams, in Italian spaghetti alle vongole, are a recipe book classic Italian pasta. Its traditional version is prepared only with garlic, clams, white wine and parsley, but there are many variations around this dish, such as the one we propose today.
Cherry tomatoes work great in pasta dishes like this one, and they have the advantage of being just as tasty in winter, just when it’s clam season.
As always in this type of pasta dishes, we recommend you remove the pasta by pulling hard, so that it finishes cooking with the sauce (and a little of the cooking water). It is the point that makes the difference.
In a saucepan with a lid, add a good splash of olive oil and sauté over low heat two or three sliced garlic cloves, one or two cayenne peppers (if you like spicy) and a sprig of uncut parsley, which then we will withdraw. You can also use fresh hot chilli if you find.
After about five minutes add the chery tomatoes, cut into halves, and fry them over medium heat for another five minutes. Then cast the well cleaned clams –If they are not well purified, it is better to leave them up to two hours in cold salted water–, turn up the heat and put the lid on the saucepan. Let the clams cook until they open.
While the clams are cooking, cook the pasta in another pot with plenty of water and salt. If the clams are before the pasta, turn off the heat in the other pot (and remove the sprig of parsley). When the pasta is al dente, pulling to hard, relight the fire in the pot with the clams and pour the drained spaghetti, a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water and a handful of chopped parsley. Cook everything for about two minutes until the pasta is just right. Serve immediately.
With what to accompany the spaghetti
Like all pasta recipes, spaghetti with clams and cherry tomatoes are a perfect single dish, which do not need any other accompaniment than a good dry white wine, or a fino or chamomile, which will also suit you evenly. If anything, we can finish the meal with a classic Italian dessert, such as a tiramisu or a pannacota.
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