Pork Free Spaghetti alle Vongole
Few pasta dishes hit as hard as this briny, garlicky classic from the Italian coast. Fresh littleneck clams open right in the pan, releasing their natural juices into a silky sauce built from white wine, olive oil, and just enough red pepper flakes to keep things interesting. The whole dish is naturally free of pork in any form — no cured meats, no hidden lard, just clean, honest seafood and pantry staples working together beautifully. Cooking the spaghetti just shy of al dente before finishing it in the clam broth is the move that makes the sauce cling to every strand rather than pool at the bottom of the bowl. A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley stirred in at the end adds brightness that balances the deep, oceanic richness of the clam liquid. Serve it straight from the pan with a squeeze of lemon, and you've got a restaurant-worthy plate that comes together with surprisingly little effort.
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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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