Pasta Vongole

I’ve had a request to post my Pasta Vongole recipe. This is one of Pete and Aadi’s favourite dishes of mine and it’s easy to see why. I only really cook this in Bahrain as the clams there are just amazing and so so cheap! Unfortunately here in Blighty we aren’t so lucky with clam availability so you can substitute mussels but if you can get fresh clams it’s really worth it!

Serves 2/3

What You Need

1kg live clams
1/2 bunch of flat leave parsley (chopped)
5 big cloves garlic (crushed)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
A splash of dry white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large tomato (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
225g dried linguine or spaghettini (thin spaghetti)

How To Make It

1. Clean the clams. Tip for all shellfish eg clams, mussels. Put all the clams into the sink (no plug). Run the cold water over the clams and agitate the clams with your hands. Continue agitating the clams, letting the water drain away, for about 5 minutes. The agitation will cause the clams to spit out any sand. This is a foolproof way of ensuring shellfish is grit free. Put the clean clams in a big bowl and set to one side
2. Put the pasta onto cook in a big pan full of salted water.
3. Gently heat the olive oil in a very large frying pan
4. Add the chilli flakes and garlic. Heat until the garlic is soft
5. Add the tomatoes and turn up the heat. Fry for 2 minutes
6. Add the clams. Working quickly and still on a high heat stir and coat the clams in the garlicky, tomato, chilli oil. Add the wine. Cover the pan. Reduce heat. Leave to cook for approximately 5-7 minutes or until all the clams have opened.
7. Using tongs remove the pasta from the pan and into the clams. Season with salt and pepper (use salt sparingly as clams are naturally salty). Add lemon juice and parsley.  Stir and coat the pasta in the clams and sauce. Coat thoroughly. I like to keep the pan on a low heat while I am mixing the pasta with the clams, this helps the sauce to thicken and really cling to the pasta.
8. Serve and enjoy!