Main courses
A refined Italian seafood pasta with firm spaghettoni, sweet briny clams, garlic, parsley, and a glossy sauce made from white wine, olive oil, and the clam juices. Serves: 4 Dish type: Italian seafood pasta / first course
Purge the clams. Put the clams in a bowl with cold water and the purging salt. Leave for 20 minutes so they release sand. Lift them out, change the water, and repeat once if needed. Rinse well. Discard any broken clams, and discard any open clams that do not close when tapped.
Boil the pasta water. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it lightly, because the clams and their juices are naturally salty.
Start the sauce base. In a wide sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and chili flakes. Cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, without letting the garlic brown.
Open the clams. Add the clams to the pan, pour in the white wine, and cover with a lid. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, until the clams open.
Separate and strain. Remove the clams with tongs. Discard any that stayed closed. Keep a few in their shells for serving and shell the rest. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve lined with kitchen paper or a clean cloth to remove any grit.
Cook the pasta. Drop the spaghettoni into the boiling water and cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the packet suggests.
Build the sauce. Return the strained clam liquid to the pan over low heat. Add a spoonful of pasta water and swirl to create a glossy emulsion.
Finish in the pan. Transfer the drained pasta to the pan and toss for 1 to 2 minutes so it absorbs the sauce. Add a little more pasta water only if needed.
Add the clams and parsley. Stir in the shelled clams, the clams in shell, and most of the parsley. Toss briefly, just until heated through.
Plate immediately. Twist the pasta into warm bowls, top with the reserved clams in shell, finish with the remaining parsley and a light drizzle of olive oil. Add black pepper only if you like.
Garnish / serving suggestion: Finish with extra parsley and a few clams in shell for an elegant look. Serve with chilled Vermentino, Falanghina, or sparkling water with lemon on the side.