Fantastic food served family style!
Spaghetti alle Vongole
It’s not just fun to say! This pasta dish is fun to eat with friends and family–like the Italians love to do! Celebrate the flavors of the ocean with this easy and addictive version of some popular seaside fare.
Having Mark in the Kitchen always makes me smile!
Learn from the Best!
You don’t need to be a renowned chef to make this plate, but it doesn’t hurt to have on by your side! Watch the video and pick up your copy of Chef Mark Strausman‘s cookbook: Freds at Barneys New York.
Serving Suggestions
You can make this as a main course for a group of four, or you can add some other Freds classics to your menu and serves as an appetizer for 6 people. If you need ideas, try the Chicken Paillard and Blueberry Crisp from our Facebook Live video.
A toast to simplicity!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 48 very small clams in the shell, such as cockles or baby clams (not littlenecks)
- 1 cup dry white wine (trebbiano, Gavi, or sauvignon blanc)
- 1/2 cup clam juice
- 1/4 cup canned crushed Italian plum tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 Kosher salt
- 2 Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Fill a 10-quart pasta pot with 7 quarts of salted water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Heat a long-handled 14-inch braising pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil with the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden. Add the clams and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine, clam juice, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes and stir. Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the clams open and the liquid has reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir, and cover until it returns to a boil. Uncover and boil the pasta until al dente. Drain, saving ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss in the parsley, a pinch of salt (only a small amount since the clams are already naturally salty), and pepper. Toss together until all the pasta is evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, thin by adding some of the reserved pasta water a little at a time. Cook over low heat 1 minute. Serve immediately.