A timeless Italian favourite, this Spaghetti Vongole pairs tender clams and perfectly cooked pasta with sweet blistered tomatoes, garlic and a splash of white wine. Finished with fresh parsley, lemon and extra virgin olive oil, it’s a simple yet elegant dish that lets fresh ingredients shine.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Featured appliance: Euromaid 900mm 10-Function Freestanding Cooker in Dark Stainless.
Ingredients
400g spaghetti
¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
450g golden baby roma tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1kg vongole, soaked and rinsed
½ cup (125ml) dry white wine
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
1 lemon
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Method for Spaghetti Vongole
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
2. Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add roma tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes or until lightly blistered and beginning to collapse. Remove half the tomatoes and set aside to retain some whole tomatoes for serving.
3. Add remaining oil, garlic and chilli to the pan and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add vongole and white wine, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened.
4. Add spaghetti to the pan with reserved pasta water and toss over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce becomes glossy.
5. Return reserved tomatoes to the pan. Add parsley, finely grated zest of ½ lemon and a squeeze of lemon juice and toss gently to combine. Season with cracked black pepper and salt.
6. Transfer to a large serving bowl, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and scatter with extra parsley to serve.
More Summer Entertaining Inspiration
Be sure to check out all of the recipes in the Summer Entertaining series for more fresh and enticing options perfect for entertaining friends and family under the summer sun!