Spaghetti con le Vongole is a Neapolitan culinary tradition that is served year round but is also one of the core dishes of the Cena della Vigilia di Natale, the traditional dinner served on Christmas Eve in Naples. It is made of two main ingredients, clams and pasta, and some other, minor, ingredients for flavour and depending on where you are from or your family's own recipe. We're tentatively putting this version out there but don't kill us if you do things differently! We know how passionate people can be about such things. For the real deal, just find a holiday rental in Naples and try it out while exploring the city.
Ingredients
250g of clams per person
100g of pasta per person (spaghetti is typical but other shapes are also used)
1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil – enough to coat the bottom of the pan
2/3 cloves of Garlic – 2 to 3 cloves
6-8 Cherry tomatoes
One peperoncino
Chopped fresh parsley
Method
1. To make the sauce, coat the bottom of a pan with the oil and sauté the garlic (with each clove chopped into 3 or 4 pieces) and peperoncino over medium heat. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook until very soft.
2. Drain and rinse the clams, making sure that all of the sand has been removed. Cover and cook in a pot over high heat. Shake or stir occasionally until the clams are open and discard that don't open. Keep half to garnish the plates and shell the remainder. Strain the liquid they were cooked in and set aside.
3. Cook the pasta when the clams are cooked and do the shelling and final prep as it simmers away.
4. Combine the sauce and clam water and clams and cook a few more minutes. The add the pasta and mix well, heating for two or three more minutes to bring the flavors together.
5. Serve garnished with the unshelled clams and fresh chopped parsley.
250g of clams per person
100g of pasta per person (spaghetti is typical but other shapes are also used)
1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil – enough to coat the bottom of the pan
2/3 cloves of Garlic – 2 to 3 cloves
6-8 Cherry tomatoes
One peperoncino
Chopped fresh parsley
Method
1. To make the sauce, coat the bottom of a pan with the oil and sauté the garlic (with each clove chopped into 3 or 4 pieces) and peperoncino over medium heat. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook until very soft.
2. Drain and rinse the clams, making sure that all of the sand has been removed. Cover and cook in a pot over high heat. Shake or stir occasionally until the clams are open and discard that don't open. Keep half to garnish the plates and shell the remainder. Strain the liquid they were cooked in and set aside.
3. Cook the pasta when the clams are cooked and do the shelling and final prep as it simmers away.
4. Combine the sauce and clam water and clams and cook a few more minutes. The add the pasta and mix well, heating for two or three more minutes to bring the flavors together.
5. Serve garnished with the unshelled clams and fresh chopped parsley.
Photo credit: Paolo Piscolla / CC BY-SA 2.0