Beef Free Spaghetti alle Vongole
Few pasta dishes hit as hard as this coastal Italian classic — briny clams, garlicky white wine sauce, and perfectly cooked spaghetti all coming together in one stunning pan. The clams are the star here, and the technique of soaking them first ensures every bite is clean and sand-free, not gritty. A generous pour of dry white wine builds a light, savory broth that the pasta absorbs as it finishes cooking right in the skillet, so the sauce clings to every strand rather than sitting in a watery puddle. Red pepper flakes and thinly sliced garlic add just enough heat and depth without overwhelming the natural sweetness of the clams. Finishing with fresh flat-leaf parsley and a drizzle of good olive oil keeps things bright and herbaceous. This is the kind of dish that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together entirely from simple, honest ingredients — no meat required, and honestly, none missed.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 lb littleneck clams (about 24 clams), scrubbed
- 1 lb spaghetti
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup dry white wine (such as pinot grigio or vermentino)
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- salt
For serving
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the scrubbed clams in a large bowl of cold salted water and let them soak for 30 minutes to purge any sand. Drain and rinse well.
- 2
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until 2 minutes shy of al dente — the pasta should still have a firm, chalky center. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti.
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