This is the white (in bianco) version - add some chopped cherry tomatoes for a more Neopolitan taste ( con pomadorino).
Ingredients (serves 4)
1 kilo fresh live clams
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green chilli (deseeded and finely sliced)
A small bunch of parsley, chopped
2tbsp olive oil
500g good spaghetti
Sea salt and freshly milled pepper
Method
Firstly, sort through the clams. If they're fresh they will be tightly closed. Discard any that are open or broken. Then, leave them to sit in a bowl of clean, cold water for a couple of hours - they will spit out any sand they've retained. Finally, give them all a good scrub with a stiff brush.
Drain the clams and put them in a large pan with only a little boiling water (200ml or less) and cover tightly before putting over a high heat. Steam them until cooked - this is when they open. The time taken varies from batch to batch but it shouldn't take any longer than about 10 mins. Add a little more water if it looks like running dry but ensure that you don't peek at the clams too often and that the lid stays firmly on for most of the time.
Add the pasta to boiling, salted water and cook according to the pack instructions.
As you do this, heat the oil in a large, heavy pan and add the garlic and chilli. Cook gently - don't let them brown then add the clams in their shells and the juice from the cooking. Make sure that you discard any that didn't open.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and stir it into the clam mixture along with the parsley. Serve instantly in warm bowls with some freshly milled black pepper.
IMPORTANT: Don't eat any shellfish that smell off or - most importantly of all - any that remain closed once they have finished cooking. Discard these immediately.
Recommended wine: A chilled Pinot Grigio.
Recipes
This is the white (in bianco) version - add some chopped cherry tomatoes for a more Neopolitan taste ( con pomadorino).
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