Craving a dish that feels like a terrace in Naples without spending the afternoon in the kitchen? Spaghetti alle vongole does exactly that: few ingredients, quick cooking, and that briny aroma as soon as the clams open. The secret is not to overdo it—keep the sauce short, shiny, and full of flavor.
Ingredients :
- Spaghetti — They carry the sauce and catch the clam juice between the strands of pasta. Choose good-quality spaghetti, ideally slightly rough, and replace with linguine if you want a wider, more supple bite.
- Clams — They provide the main flavor of the dish, with a naturally salty and briny juice. Choose tightly closed clams with a fresh sea smell, and substitute with cockles or well-thawed frozen vongole if you don’t have a good fishmonger.
- Garlic — It perfumes the oil from the start, but must not burn, otherwise it becomes bitter and dominates. Use firm cloves, finely sliced or just crushed if you want a milder flavor.
- Olive oil — It acts as a binder between the clam juice and pasta starch. Choose a fruity but not too pungent oil, as a very green oil can overpower the shellfish.
