Spaghetti vongole is a light, summery dish that should be kept as simple as possible – if you’re splashing out on fresh clams, then it’s a shame to lose them in a maelstrom of other flavours.
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g small clams
350g spaghetti
30g butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped
½ medium-hot red chilli, finely chopped
100ml dry white wine
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Zest of ½ a lemon and a spritz of juice
Method
Rinse the clams in cold running water, and scrub if necessary, then put them into a large bowl and cover with cold water. Salt generously and leave for a couple of hours, then drain and rinse well to remove any grit or sand.
Put the spaghetti into a large pan of salted boiling water and cook for a couple of minutes under the recommended time, until nearly done.
Meanwhile, put half the butter and all the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and soften the garlic and chilli.
Add the drained clams, and turn up the heat. Pour in the wine, cover and leave for a couple of minutes until most of them have opened. Discard any that are still closed. Add the others to the sauce, picking a few out of their shells for variety.
Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan along with the remaining butter. Toss well and leave for a minute, then stir through the chopped parsley, lemon zest and juice, season to taste and serve.
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