Spaghetti alle Vongole immediately transports me back to Italy. The simplest of ingredients come together to create the most wonderful, light, briny, herbaceous pasta dish. Notes of white wine, fresh parsley, tomato, fresh clams, garlic, shallots, and crushed red pepper marry together in this Neapolitan classic.
Where to begin! This spaghetti alle vongole is the dish that stole my brother and I’s hearts during our trip to Italy this spring. Recreating it was top on my priority list upon arriving back in the states, and I can say that the first bite transported me right back to the restaurant in Naples where we discovered the magic of their fresh seafood and perfectly al dente pasta.
It’s amazing how just a few simple, high quality ingredients yield such incredible results.
Spaghetti alle vongole is the epitome of just that! All you need:
- clams (I use littleneck)
- spaghetti
- butter
- olive oil
- shallots & garlic
- crushed red pepper
- white wine
- canned san marzano tomatoes
- flat leaf parsley
The wonderful clam liquor (a fancy way of saying the juices that are released in the process of steaming clams) with the white wine, butter, garlic, and shallots is SUCH an incredible combination. The clams do all the work for us!
The sauce for the pasta is essentially the wonderful juices released from the clams, and reduced white wine.
I can’t stop thinking about the clams in Italy.
Although these littlenecks sure are beautiful, the clams in Italy were absolutely stunning. They were a little smaller, and the inside of the shells were this bright, deep purple color. They were perfectly sweet and briny, and I will never forget the taste.
I’d definitely recommend finding the best quality clams possible for this recipe – it will make a huge difference, since the clams pretty much make the “sauce” themselves.
Here’s a quick rundown of how to make this beautiful dish:
- Prep your clams. Make sure you wash them really well in cold water. I like to rinse them one by one and rub them to get rid of any sand and grit.
- Boil water for your pasta. Make sure you heavily salt the water to ensure the pasta itself gets seasoned. I like to use spaghetti here, but linguine would also work!
- Sauté you garlic and shallots. This is where all the flavor starts! Butter, olive oil, garlic, shallots, and a little crushed red pepper.
- Add your tomatoes. Just a couple of chopped canned San Marzano tomatoes will do the trick. Just a touch of tomato flavor is what we loved about the spaghetti alle vongole we had in Naples.
- Add your white wine. You want to use something dry and high-quality. Save yourself a glass to drink along with the meal. 🙂
- Cover. Let the clams simmer anywhere from 5-8 minutes, depending on the size. You will know they are cooked once they have opened. Make sure you discard any clams that didn’t open.
- Drain your pasta. Drain well, and add it back into the pot you cooked it in. Add a bit of butter to the pasta and pour in all of the clams and their delicious juices.
- Assemble. Sprinkle with a generous amount of parsley and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Devour!
I hope you love it as much as we do, and I hope that it brings a little slice of Italy to your kitchen. 🙂
If you love this recipe, you will love these as well:
Green Olive Pasta with Toasted Lemon Breadcrumbs and Herbs
Creamy Lemon Lobster Fettuccine
Broccoli Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
Shrimp Pasta with Dill Pesto and Garlic Roasted Tomatoes
Double Tomato and Corn Bruschetta Pasta with Burrata
Braised Pork Ragu Pasta
Easy Summer Zucchini Pasta
Burrata Baked Ziti
And don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen!
Spaghetti alle Vongole
Spaghetti alle Vongole immediately transports me back to Italy. The simplest of ingredients come together to create the most wonderful, light, briny, herbaceous pasta dish. Notes of white wine, fresh parsley, tomato, fresh clams, garlic, shallots, and crushed red pepper marry together in this Neapolitan classic.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds littleneck clams
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- pinch of crushed red pepper
- 2 San Marzano tomatoes (from a can), chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine*
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Begin by cleaning the clams. Make sure you wash them really well to remove excess sand and dirt. I like to run them under cold water and rub any grit off of each clam. Set aside in the fridge.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water liberally.
Heat a separate large pot or dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic, shallot, and crushed red pepper. Sauté for 30 seconds - 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for another minute or so. Add the clams and stir gently. Add the white wine and increase heat to high. Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes, reducing the heat as needed. You will know the clams are cooked once they open completely. Discard any clams that do not open.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well, and return to the pot you cooked the pasta in. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the pasta and season with a pinch of salt. Pour the clam mixture over the pasta and toss gently to combine. Finish with the chopped parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
*Make sure you use a high quality white wine, something you'd enjoy drinking. I used a Chardonnay here.
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