Yen Can Cook: Spaghetti Alle Vongole

November 7, 2015 Choi Yen 13 comments

Got some fresh clams from the night market last week and the first recipe that came into my mind was Spaghetti Alle Vongole.

Simple preparation to clean the clams before being cooked.

Rinse the clams in running water, and scrub if necessary. Put them into a large bowl with and cover with water. Add in salt generously and leave for a couple of hours, then drain and rinse well to remove any grit or sand.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

500g clams

5-6 button mushrooms

350g spaghetti

30g butter

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 dried chili

100ml dry white wine

Salt to season

Dried parsley

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Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.

Step 2: In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil and half of the butter over medium, add garlic and chili flakes and cook until garlic just begins to turn a light golden brown.

Step 3: Add the drained clams and mushrooms, turn up the heat. Pour in the wine, cover and leave for a couple of minutes until most of them have opened. Discard any that are still closed.

Step 4: Add the drained spaghetti to the pan along with the remaining butter. Toss well and leave for a minute, add pasta cooking water if you want a more soup version, season to taste. Sprinkle with dried parsley and serve.