Spaghetti with Vongole

2 servings

30 minutes

Or to be more precise, spaghetti alla vongole — a favorite in the Italian province of Campania. This pasta with shellfish is traditionally prepared in two ways: white and red. White wine, good olive oil, garlic, some fresh herbs — and the vongole will show themselves in all their glory. If you need to add brightness to the dish, that is, make it red — tomatoes and fresh basil will do the trick. Both options are equally good, it is impossible to say which pasta is better. The peculiarity of preparing this dish is that live shellfish in shells open during cooking. There is only one rule: the smaller the shells, the tastier and more aromatic. But the larger they are, the less hassle and more meat. As pasta, you can take not only spaghetti, but also linguine, vermicelli.

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 738.1
• Proteins: 45.7g
• Fats: 28.4g
• Carbohydrates: 68.3g

Ingredients

• Venus shells (vongole): 500 g
• Spaghetti: 160 g
• Olive oil: 50 ml
• Garlic: 1 clove
• Chili pepper: 0.5 pc
• Dry white wine: 40 ml
• Parsley: 15 g
• Salt: to taste
• Ground black pepper: to taste

Cooking steps

1. Prepare the necessary ingredients.

2. Wash the vongole. Soak them in very salty water, the water should taste like the sea. Leave the shells for 20 minutes; during this time, they will clean themselves of any dirt and sand.

   Required ingredients:

   • Venus shells (vongole): 500 g

3. Then place them in clean cold water for 10 minutes to remove excess salt. This should only be done with fresh live vongole; frozen ones do not need preparation.

4. Boil spaghetti in salted boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes less than the package indicates.

   Required ingredients:

   • Spaghetti: 160 g
   • Salt:  to taste

5. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.

   Required ingredients:

   • Olive oil: 50 ml

6. Sauté the garlic, sliced thinly, over medium heat, then add the chopped chili and sauté until soft.

   Required ingredients:

   • Garlic: 1 clove
   • Chili pepper: 0.5 piece

7. Add clams and wine to the pan, increase the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan every 20 seconds. Then remove the pan from the heat and discard any unopened shells.

   Required ingredients:

   • Venus shells (vongole): 500 g
   • Dry white wine: 40 ml

8. Drain the water from the spaghetti, reserving about a cup in a separate container. Add the spaghetti to the pan with vongole and mix well to coat them evenly with the sauce. If needed, add a little pasta water.

   Required ingredients:

   • Spaghetti: 160 g
   • Salt:  to taste

9. Add chopped parsley and mix.

   Required ingredients:

   • Parsley: 15 g

10. Serve with a glass of white wine.

    Required ingredients:

    • Dry white wine: 40 ml