Spaghetti alle Vongole – A Taste of the Sea on Your Plate

Instructions

1. 11

   First, thoroughly clean the clams. Place them in a bowl with cold, salted water for at least 30 minutes to an hour. This helps them expel any sand. Discard any clams that are open and don't close when tapped, or any with broken shells.

2. 22

   Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

3. 33

   While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.

4. 44

   Add the cleaned clams to the skillet and pour in the white wine. Cover the skillet tightly and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until all the clams have opened. Shake the pan occasionally. Discard any clams that did not open.

5. 55

   Drain the spaghetti and add it directly to the skillet with the clams and their liquid. Add half of the chopped parsley. Toss everything together, adding a splash or two of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too dry, to create a light, emulsified sauce that coats the spaghetti.

6. 66

   Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining fresh parsley.