Pescatarian Spaghetti alle Vongole
Few pasta dishes hit the way a well-made spaghetti alle vongole does — briny, garlicky, and deeply satisfying without being heavy. The clams are the star here, steamed open in dry white wine until they release their natural juices into the pan, creating a light, savory sauce that coats every strand of pasta. A generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil, thinly sliced garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes round out the flavor with just enough heat and richness. The technique of finishing the spaghetti directly in the clam cooking liquid is what ties everything together, letting the pasta absorb all that oceanic depth in the final two minutes of cooking. Fresh flat-leaf parsley stirred in at the end keeps things bright, and a squeeze of lemon at the table adds a clean, citrusy lift if you want it. This is the kind of dish that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together in a single skillet — no complicated steps, no hard-to-find ingredients, just honest, coastal Italian cooking at its best.
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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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