Description
Linguine alle Vongole is a classic Italian pasta dish from Naples featuring fresh clams cooked with garlic, chili, parsley, and white wine, tossed with linguine for a simple yet flavorful seafood meal perfect for any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 11 ounces linguine (or vermicelli or spaghetti)
Clams and Seafood Sauce
- 1.8 pounds fresh clams (about 200g/7oz per person)
- 5-8 garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon peperoncino (red chili pepper) or dried flakes (adjust to taste)
- 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 handfuls fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- salt (to taste, not added to pasta cooking water)
- 2.5 fl oz dry white wine (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Finely chop the peeled garlic and parsley. If using fresh or dried red chili, chop finely and remove seeds for mild heat. Wash hands carefully afterward to avoid irritation.
- Clean Clams: Rinse clams under cold water, discarding any with broken shells. Rinse thoroughly to remove sand; some sandiness can be filtered out later.
- Boil Pasta Water: Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Do not add salt as clams add natural saltiness.
- Cook Clams: Place clams in a deep frying pan, cover, and cook over medium-high heat until clams open, about 5 minutes.
- Prepare Clams and Broth: Let clams cool slightly. Remove meat from half the shells, keeping the rest intact. Discard empty shells and filter clam cooking liquid to remove sand but keep it for sauce.
- Cook Pasta: Add pasta to boiling water and cook al dente following package instructions.
- Make Sauce: Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet. Add garlic and peperoncino, sauté until garlic softens. Add clams (both shelled and unshelled) and cook briefly. Pour in filtered clam liquid followed by white wine if using; cook until alcohol evaporates. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Drain pasta and add it to the pan with the clams and sauce. Toss gently over low heat to combine.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately with extra parsley on top if desired.
Notes
- This traditional Neapolitan dish uses minimal ingredients but delivers maximum flavor.
- It’s ideal for special occasions or entertaining guests with its impressive yet simple seafood profile.
- Do not salt the pasta water as clams impart sufficient saltiness.
- Filtering clam broth is important to remove any residual sand.
- Adjust peperoncino quantity according to preferred spice level.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 447 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 31 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg
