Authentic Spaghetti alle Vongole (Italian Clam Pasta)

Make authentic Spaghetti alle Vongole in just 15 minutes with fresh clams, garlic, olive oil, and white wine for a quick, flavorful Italian dinner.

Ingredients

• 160 g spaghetti
• 500 g fresh clams
• 2 circles extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 sprig fresh parsley
• 1 splash white wine
• to taste chili powder
• to taste coarse salt

Instructions

1. 1Boil the water and add salt

   

   Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and sprinkle in coarse salt to season the water adequately for cooking the spaghetti.

   Tip: Always salt your boiling water generously; it should taste like seawater to properly season the pasta from the inside out.
2. 2Boil the Spaghetti

   

   Gather a bundle of spaghetti and lower it directly into a pot of rapidly boiling water. Allow the pasta to submerge as it softens in the boiling water, following the package timing instructions.

   Tip: Add salt to the water only after it reaches a rolling boil.
3. 3Heat oil in the pan

   

   Place a frying pan over heat and pour in two generous circles of extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom evenly.

   Tip: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil since it serves as a primary flavor base for the sauce.
4. 4Add garlic, parsley, and clams

   

   Add garlic cloves and a whole sprig of fresh parsley into the heated oil, then tip in the fresh raw clams.

   Tip: Ensure your clams have been thoroughly cleaned and purged of any sand before adding them to the pan.
5. 5Cover and steam with white wine

   

   Pour a splash of white wine over the clams to enhance the flavor, then cover the pan with a lid and shake it over high heat to cook evenly.

   Tip: Shaking the covered pan helps distribute the heat and encourages the clams to open up more uniformly.
6. 6Add chili powder

   

   Remove the lid briefly or lift it to sprinkle in a touch of chili powder for a slight kick, then mix everything together well.

   Tip: Chili powder is optional; feel free to adjust the amount or skip it entirely depending on your spice preference.
7. 7Discard Empty Clam Shells

   

   Pick through the cooked clams in the pan, removing and discarding the empty shells while keeping the tender clam meat inside the pan to better blend with the pasta.

   Tip: Removing extra empty shells makes it much easier to eat and combine with the spaghetti.
8. 8Combine Pasta with Clams

   

   Transfer the cooked spaghetti directly from the boiling pot into the pan containing the prepared clams and flavorful sauce. Mix thoroughly so the pasta absorbs the savory juices.

   Tip: Moving the pasta straight into the pan lets it finish cooking in the sauce.
9. 9Garnish with Parsley

   

   Finish the dish by generously sprinkling freshly chopped parsley over the mixture of spaghetti and clams in the pan. Toss everything together well before serving.

   Tip: Remove any whole sprigs of parsley used earlier and replace them with fresh chopped herbs at the end.

Storage & Reheating

Burn It Off

Frequently Asked Questions