Vongole Recipes

SPAGHETTI VONGOLE

Steps:

• Put a pan of water on to boil. While that's happening, sort through your cleaned clams and if there are any that aren't tightly closed, give them a sharp tap. If they don't close, throw them away. Put a large pan with a lid on a high heat and let it heat up. Finely slice the parsley stalks, then put them to one side and roughly chop the leaves. Peel and chop the garlic, quarter the tomatoes and get your wine ready.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water with a good pinch of salt and cook according to packet instructions until al dente. About 5 minutes before your pasta is ready, get ready to start cooking - you'll have to be quick about this, so no mucking about! Put 4 generous lugs of extra virgin olive oil into the hot pan and add the garlic, parsley stalks and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Crumble in the dried chilli and add the chopped tomatoes. Stir everything around constantly and just as the garlic starts to colour, tip in the clams and pour in the wine. It will splutter and steam, so give everything a good shake and put the lid on the pan. After about 3 or 4 minutes the clams will start to open, so keep shuffling the pan around until all of them have opened. Take the pan off the heat. Get rid of any clams that haven't opened.
• By now your pasta should be just about perfect. Drain and add to the pan of clams along with the parsley leaves and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Stir or toss for a further minute or two to let the beautiful seashore juices from the clams be absorbed into the pasta. Serve right away. No sane Italian would eat this dish without some fresh hunks of bread to mop up the juices. Beautiful!
• PS The first time you make this it will be good, but you might find things don't come together exactly at the right time. But don't worry, this dish is all about confidence and the more you make this, the more you'll find the pasta and clams are ready and perfect at the same time. And then it will be great!

SPAGHETTI VONGOLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt (at least 2 tablespoons) and the pasta and stir to separate. Cook until 3 minutes short of al dente (according to package directions), then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and sizzling, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pepper flakes and crushed tomatoes, season with salt and cook until the tomatoes are slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Add the clams and cover for 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until the clams open. Discard unopened clams.
• Add the pasta to the skillet along with the parsley, cheese and butter. Cook, tossing and stirring and drizzling with olive oil, until the pasta is cooked through and the sauce is silky and thickened. Serve drizzled with oil and sprinkled with cheese and parsley.

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the garlic and chile pepper in the olive oil until the garlic is golden brown, about 1 minute.
• Add the clams, clam juice and wine. Cover and simmer over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally until all the clams open.
• While the clams are simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente.
• Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the clam sauce and parsley and toss well. Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• Put the water for the spaghetti on to boil. Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water. Discard any that are open or damaged. Cover the tomatoes with boiling water, leave for 1 min, then drain and slip off the skins, Remove the seeds and chop the flesh.
• Cook spaghetti according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the garlic and chilli, then fry gently for a few seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, then add the clams and a splash of wine, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 mins, until the clams are open. Drain the pasta, then tip into the pan with the parsley and toss together. Serve in bowls with bread for mopping up the juices.

MARTHA'S SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• Roasted-Garlic Butter: Mash together butter, garlic confit, and lemon zest. Season with salt. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months. (Makes 1/2 cup.)
• Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until slightly less than al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat garlic with oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high until just golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, transferring each slice to a plate when browned. Add pepper flakes and tomatoes to skillet; cook until tomatoes soften a bit, about 3 minutes.
• Add wine and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add clam juice and return to a boil. Add clams, cover, and cook 20 seconds. Uncover and cook, removing clams to a large bowl as they open, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard unopened clams.
• Add pasta, parsley, 1/2 cup pasta water, and 3 tablespoons garlic butter to skillet (reserve remaining garlic butter for another use). Cook, stirring, until pasta is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir, adding more pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce. Pour over clams; toss to combine. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with garlic slices and more cheese and parsley; serve.

SPAGHETTI VONGOLE

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat cook the garlic cloves in olive oil until golden, about 1 minute. Add the chili-pepper flakes, clams and wine. Cover the pot and steam until the clams open, about 5 to 7 minutes. Strain, reserve the broth and set the clams aside to cool.
• Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water until tender. While it is cooking, take the clams from the shells. Discard the shells. Put the reserved clam broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it is boiling, add the lemon juice, the parsley and the reserved clams. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the spaghetti, toss and serve.

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5 quart pot. Season lightly with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, swirling pan often, until just golden. Add red pepper flakes and continue cooking 15 more seconds. Add wine, then clams; increase heat to high. Cover skillet and cook until clams open and release their juices, 3-6 minutes, depending on size of clams. As clams open, use tongs to transfer them to a bowl.
• Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to skillet; bring to a boil. Add pasta to pan. Cook over high heat, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the sauce from the pan. Add clams and any juices from bowl to pan, along with parsley, and toss to combine. (Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Transfer pasta to warm bowls and drizzle with remaining oil.

FETTUCCINE ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and butter. When butter turns brown, add onion, red pepper and garlic; cook until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine and 1 tablespoons parsley; reduce liquid a little. Pour in cream and sherry; bring to a simmer.
• Stir in basil, red pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper; cook for 2 minutes. Add clams and heat through (do NOT overcook or they will become tough & chewy), about 2 minutes. Stir in cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Add pasta mixture and toss. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and remaining parsley; serve.

SPAGHETTI RISOTTATI ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a stockpot; add salt. Reduce heat to a simmer.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil, followed by chile pepper and garlic. Cook and stir gently until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove garlic and chile pepper; discard. Add clams to the fragrant oil.
• Pour wine over the clams and cover immediately. Let simmer until clams have opened, about 7 minutes. Remove clams using a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Cover to avoid losing their steam. Discard any unopened clams.
• Pour four ladles of salted water into the skillet with the juice of the clams. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti; move around with a pasta fork to keep from sticking together. Cook, adding a ladle or two of salted water as needed to keep spaghetti barely covered, until pasta is tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Add clams and sprinkle in lemon zest. Give the skillet a hefty toss to gently mix the clams in the thickened sauce.
• Divide into four pasta bowls. Cover with parsley and serve immediately with empty plates on the side for the shells while eating.