Macadamia Free Spaghetti alle Vongole
Few pasta dishes hit the way a well-made spaghetti alle vongole does — briny, garlicky, and just a little spicy from the red pepper flakes, with a silky sauce that forms naturally from clam liquor, white wine, and a splash of starchy pasta water. The clams are the star here, and littlenecks bring a clean, oceanic sweetness that no amount of bottled seasoning can replicate. Soaking them in cold salted water before cooking purges any hidden sand, so every bite is smooth and satisfying rather than gritty. The technique of finishing the spaghetti directly in the skillet with the cooking liquid is what pulls everything together — the pasta absorbs all that savory depth while the sauce tightens into something glossy and cling-worthy. A generous handful of flat-leaf parsley and a final drizzle of good olive oil brighten the whole pan right before serving. This is naturally free of tree nuts in any form, so there's no need to audit labels or swap out ingredients — just straightforward, coastal Italian cooking built entirely on seafood, aromatics, and pantry staples. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the top and eat it immediately, because this dish waits for no one.
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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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