Italian · Main · Medium
Spaghetti alle Vongole
The red version: spaghetti with clams in a bright tomato, garlic, and white wine sauce. Naples style.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Spaghetti alle Vongole, in 5 ideas
- In Naples this is 'vongole in rosso'; the white version without tomato is 'in bianco'.
- The tomato sauce should be light, not heavy; the clams are the star.
- Same rule as the white version: no cheese, ever.
- A pinch of sugar balances the tomato acidity against the briny clams.
- Crusty bread for the sauce is not optional.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 3 lbs littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- Salt for the pasta water
How to make it
Directions
- Soak clams in cold salted water 20 minutes, then rinse well.
- Cook spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- Heat olive oil in a large lidded skillet. Cook garlic and red pepper flakes 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes and wine; simmer 8 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add clams, cover, and steam 5 to 7 minutes until open. Discard any unopened.
- Toss with spaghetti and pasta water as needed. Finish with parsley.
Money saver. Canned tomatoes vary wildly in quality. Look for D.O.P. San Marzano on the label for the sweetest, least acidic sauce.