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Campania · Vongole

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Clams, garlic, white wine, parsley — the sound of the Bay of Naples on a plate.

Total

40 min

Prep

25 min

Cook

15 min

Serves

4

IntermediateCoastalBrinyLightSeafoodDate night
Spaghetti alle Vongole — Vongole

The Story

Where it comes from

The simplest seafood pasta on the Mediterranean and the hardest to do right. Naples insists on no tomato (vongole in bianco); the brine of the clams is the sauce. Master the timing — clams open in seconds, pasta finishes in the pan — and you have one of the most elegant plates Italy has produced.

Mise en Place

Ingredients

For 4 servings. Quantities are by weight where it matters — Italian cooking is a math of grams and minutes.

For the pasta

  • Spaghetti or linguine

    400 g

  • Coarse sea salt

    for water — less than usual

For the sauce

  • Fresh clams

    vongole veraci ideally — purge in salted water 2 hours

    1.2 kg

  • Garlic

    smashed

    4 cloves

  • Dry white wine

    120 ml

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

    60 ml

  • Red chili flakes

    ½ tsp

  • Flat-leaf parsley

    chopped

    large handful

Equipment

Large deep skillet with lidTongs

The Method

Chef-led, step by step

  1. 1

    Purge the clams

    120 min

    Soak clams in cold salted water (35 g salt per liter) for 2 hours. Discard any open ones that don't close when tapped.

  2. 2

    Bloom the garlic

    3 min

    Warm olive oil with smashed garlic and chili over low heat until fragrant — never brown.

  3. 3

    Open the clams

    5 min

    Add clams and wine. Cover. Cook 3-5 minutes, shaking pan, until they open. Discard any that stay shut.

  4. 4

    Cook pasta 2/3

    6 min

    Cook spaghetti 2 minutes under al dente. Transfer directly to clam pan with tongs.

  5. 5

    Marry

    3 min

    Finish cooking pasta in clam broth, swirling pan to emulsify. Add parsley off heat. Serve immediately — no cheese, ever.

Chef tips

  • ·Save the cleanest clam broth from the pan — that's your sauce.
  • ·Never add cheese. Naples will know.
  • ·Use a light salt in the pasta water — the clams add plenty.

Common mistakes

  • ·Skipping the purge — sandy clams ruin everything.
  • ·Browning the garlic — it turns bitter and dominates.
  • ·Cooking pasta fully in water — finish it in the sauce.

The Cellar

Wine pairings

Falanghina

Campania

Crisp, mineral, salty — the Bay of Naples in a glass.

Vermentino

Liguria

Almond and citrus, perfect for white clam sauce.

Shopping List

What to bring home

  • Spaghetti or linguine400 g
  • Coarse sea saltfor water — less than usual
  • Fresh clams1.2 kg
  • Garlic4 cloves
  • Dry white wine120 ml
  • Extra-virgin olive oil60 ml
  • Red chili flakes½ tsp
  • Flat-leaf parsleylarge handful

Questions

Frequently asked

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