Spaghetti pasta ‘alle vongole’ (with clams)

Use a firm brush to scrub the clams under cold running water to remove sand. Discard any shells that are chipped, broken, or damaged in any way. Soak the clams in cold water for 20 minutes to remove remaining sand stored inside the shells. Pick the clams out of the water and transfer to a bowl. Do not pour the clams with water into a colander as the sand will find its way back into the shells.

Place a large pot with water on high heat and bring to the boil. Add the spaghetti pasta and a pinch of salt to the boiling water and cook until ‘al dente’ – refer to the cooking time specified in pasta packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic and chilli. Cook without browning the garlic (approximately 1 minute). Add the clams and pour over the wine. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the clams have opened and wine evaporated. Discard any unopened clams.

Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons (40ml) of the pasta cooking liquid. Add the pasta and reserved cooking water to the frying pan with clams and toss well over the heat for 1 minute to soak up lovely flavour. Season with salt to taste, then remove from the heat. Add the parsley and toss to combine.

Divide the Spaghetti pasta ‘alle vongole’ (with clams) among 4 serving bowls– Buon appetito.