Spaghetti alle Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)
If you had asked me between the ages of 7-12 what my favorite food was, I would assuredly have said:
Clamsauce.
This eloquent term referred to the linguine and clams that my parents often made, though they typically used canned clams and bottled clam juice. The real thing, with fresh clams and good-quality pasta, is an Italian staple that I still adore to this day.
Matt and I are heading on our very belated honeymoon later this week, so we vowed to both save money and avoid leftovers on Valentine’s Day. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this meal, because its flavors are still extravagant. I asked my new boss, who hails from Lake Como, for tips on this dish. He suggested I add bottarga for added elegance and complexity. His suggestions, combined with a little olive oil recently imported from our Tuscan agriturismo, made for the perfect, as-authentic-as-you-can-get kind of cena di San Valentino.
Spaghetti alle Vongole
Ingredients:
1 lb pasta of your choice (spaghetti or linguine recommended - I used spaghetti alla chitarra)
1 lb fresh clams, rinsed and picked through
1 can chopped clams, juice reserved (optional - this just adds more substance!)
EVOO
1 cup dry white wine
1 bottle clam juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tbsp anchovy paste
Handful of parsley, coarsely chopped
Zest of 1/3 a lemon
1 tbsp bottarga
Cracked pepper
Red chili flakes (optional)
Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to boil.
After adding pasta to boiling water, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in anchovy paste until incorporated.
Add wine, raise the heat, and allow to simmer and cook off for about 2 minutes.
Place fresh clams and clam juice in pan, simmering until they all open and are fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate.
If adding canned clams, place them, with their juices, in the pan to warm.
Using a pasta fork, remove pasta when it’s very al dente. I removed mine after 8 minutes and immediately placed it in the saute pan along with the sauce.
On medium-low heat, continue to cook pasta 2-4 minutes, adding ladles of starchy pasta water periodically, until the sauce is creamy and pasta is cooked (but still al dente).
Remove a few of the clams from their shells, leaving a few shelled for color. Add clams to the pan along with parsley and a few cracks of pepper.
Add bottarga and lemon zest. Stir to incorporate.
Serve pasta and its sauce in a large pasta bowl, adding chili flakes if desired.
Buon appetito!
Wine pairing:
White wine with decent body and acidity. We opted for a prosecco, given the occasion, but a white wine from the south of Italy, like Sicily, would be perfect.
