Name: Italian Spaghetti with Clams
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 4 pounds littleneck clams or cockles, scrubbed; ½ cup dry white wine; Pinch cayenne pepper; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 2 plum tomatoes , peeled, seeded, and chopped fine; 1 pound spaghetti; ¾ cup chopped fresh parsley; Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Ask a Neapolitan, and she might claim that pasta was invented in Campania. While this isn't true—pasta wasn't eaten widely in the region until the 17th century—pasta, and spaghetti specifically, is undoubtedly treasured in Naples. Industrial pasta production began in Naples, and maccaronari (“maccheroni-sellers”) used to line the streets of the city. One of the most beloved dishes is spaghetti alle vongole, which consists of spaghetti lightly tossed with garlic and oil and topped with tiny clams whose liquor contributes a pleasant brininess to the sauce. While spaghetti alle vongole is served in just about every restaurant or trattoria in town, it's also a key dish in the very special Christmas Eve dinner eaten in Naples, cena della vigilia di Natale. It can be found served with tomatoes (e pomodorini) or without (in bianco). We added just two minced plum tomatoes—barely enough to color the sauce—for sweetness and bright acidity as well as a bit of texture. As for the clams themselves, we needed to find a substitute for the tiny, sweet vongole veraci (“true clams”). Large stateside clams like cherrystones and quahogs lacked the distinctive flavor and were tough. Littlenecks (the smaller the better) worked well; they had a fresh brininess and their meat cooked up tender. Cockles, if you can find them, are also a great choice—the baby clams are almost as small as those you can find in Italy. To ensure the small clams didn't overcook, we steamed them first, stopping when they gave up their juice; we used the juice to build a flavorful sauce and then recombined the clams with the sauce at the last minute, which allowed just enough time for the clams to finish cooking. A half cup of white wine contributed a bright but not overpowering acidity to the sauce and two cloves of garlic, cooked in oil until golden, gave the dish a subtle bite.

Instructions

Bring clams, wine, and cayenne to boil in 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan, cover, and cook, shaking pan occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir clams thoroughly, cover, and continue to cook until they just begin to open, 2 to 5 minutes longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer partially opened clams to large bowl. Discard any unopened clams.

Strain clam steaming liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with coffee filter, avoiding any gritty sediment that has settled on bottom of pan. Set aside 1 cup liquid. (Add water as needed to equal 1 cup.) Wipe out pan with paper towels.

Heat oil and garlic in now-empty pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until tomatoes soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in clams, cover, and cook until all clams are completely opened, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta and return it to pot. Add clam sauce and reserved steaming liquid to pasta and cook over medium heat, tossing to combine, until flavors meld, about 30 seconds. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.