Spaghetti alle vongole (Spaghetti with Baby Clams)
Spaghetti alle vongole is a classic Italian pasta dish made with spaghetti and clams in a simple sauce made with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and a bit of pasta water.
Don’t be fooled by its apparent simplicity. It’s a delicious pasta dish that’s sure to impress.
Originally from the Campania region in the south of Italy, it’s nowadays known and loved all over the country and even abroad!
Ingredients
- Spaghetti – Traditionally this pasta dish is made with classic thick spaghetti pasta, not angel hair or any other pasta shape. Alternatively, you can use linguine to make linguine alle vongole.
- Fresh baby clams – Use fresh baby clams. They should remain closed until you clean them.
- Garlic cloves – Use fresh garlic without brown spots. Avoid pre-minced garlic or garlic powder.
- Parsley – Fresh parsley is best, but if you don’t have any, you can also use dried parsley.
- White wine – Optional. Some people don’t include it at all, so feel free to skip it. I like to add white wine since it enhances the flavors. Choose a decent quality semi-dry white wine, but no need to break the bank.
- Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil if possible. If you don’t have any, you can use regular or refined olive oil. Don’t use any other oil because it would change the flavor of the sauce a lot.
- Black pepper – Preferably freshly cracked pepper; adjust to taste.
- Salt – To clean the clams, and more to to season the pasta dish.
- Filtered or bottled water – To clean the clams (do not use tap water if your tap water contains chlorine).
Recipe Tips
- 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. Once cooked, discard any clam that didn’t open during cooking.
- 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. Also don’t overcook them, they should be al dente.
- Pasta water is the key to making the slightly creamy white 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.
- Italians usually don’t add parmesan cheese to spaghetti alle vongole since it is a seafood recipe, but you can add some at the end if you’d really like to.
- Spaghetti alle vongole should be eaten right after it’s cooked, otherwise, it can become a bit drier since the pasta tends to absorb the sauce.
How to Make Spaghetti alle vongole – Step by Step Instructions
First, clean the clams. This should be done the day before or at least 4-5 hours beforehand.
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.
At this time, 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.
Then 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.
When the pasta is done, drain it, but keep a bit of the pasta water for the sauce.
Then add the spaghetti to the pan with the clams and mix well. Now add a bit of the pasta water (about 1/3 cup or more if needed). Mix again to create a slightly creamy sauce.
- Serve the pasta dish hot, garnished with more fresh parsley on top. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
As mentioned, this pasta dish is best eaten right after being made, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Nutrition
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.