Spaghetti vongole
Clams were, and still are, available in Venice by the boatload. So much so that they're even considered peasant food. Although this recipe originates from Venice, it's so delicious that it's now become a classic Italian dish. People can be picky about whether or not it should be made with or without tomatoes, but personally I like the subtle colour and sweetness they add to the dish. The most important thing about it is timing everything so you get perfectly steamed clams and al dente pasta. Once you've made it a couple of times your intuition will kick in and you'll be able to make it quickly and perfectly every time.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
What these numbers assume — 9 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Cherry | 1 cup (138g) | 87 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 1 kg small clams, from
- , ask your fishmonger, scrubbed clean
- 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 4 cloves garlic
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 250 ml white wine
- 400 g dried spaghetti
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 dried chillies