Nutmeg Free Spaghetti alle Vongole
Few dishes capture the soul of Italian coastal cooking quite like this briny, garlicky pasta — tender clams nestled in a silky white wine sauce that clings to every strand of spaghetti. The flavor comes entirely from the sea and the pantry: good olive oil, sliced garlic, a hit of red pepper flakes, dry white wine, and a generous handful of fresh parsley. There's no cream, no heavy spice blend, and absolutely nothing that would introduce nutmeg into the equation, making it a naturally clean and worry-free choice. The technique of finishing the pasta directly in the clam cooking liquid is what transforms this from a simple weeknight meal into something genuinely restaurant-worthy. Soaking the clams first ensures a grit-free sauce, and pulling the pasta just shy of al dente before it hits the skillet means it absorbs all that oceanic, wine-laced goodness without going soft. A squeeze of lemon at the table brightens everything up and makes the whole bowl sing. This is the kind of recipe that looks impressive but asks very little of you — just good ingredients and a little attention at the stove.
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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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