Spaghetti alle Vongole

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1kg clams 

350g spaghetti

30g butter

2tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

1 red chilli (finely chopped)

15 cherry tomatoes (quartered)

Sea salt & pepper

170ml dry white wine

Large bunch of flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)

1 lemon (zested & juiced)

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Rinse the clams in cold running water, and scrub if necessary, then put them into a large bowl and cover with cold water. Salt generously and leave for 1-4 hours, then drain and rinse well to remove any grit or sand.

Put the spaghetti into a large pan of salted boiling water and cook for 2 minutes under the recommended time, so it’s slightly al dente. 

Meanwhile, put the olive oil and half the butter in a large pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, chilli and cherry tomatoes to soften for 2 minutes. Lightly season at this stage.

Then add the drained clams, turn up the heat and pour in the white wine. Cover immediately with a lid and leave for 5 minutes to steam, until most of the clams have opened. Shake the pan gently so that the chilli, garlic and tomatoes are tossed through the clams. Discard any clams that are still closed and any empty shells where the clam has been released into the sauce.

Turn the heat down to low-medium and using tongs transfer the spaghetti into the clam sauce pan (bringing over a bit of that excess salty pasta water to loosen the sauce) along with the remaining butter. Toss well and leave for a minute, then stir through the chopped parsley, lemon zest and juice, season to taste and serve!

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Recipe inspired by Felicity Cloake