Spaghetti with Clams
I love clams cooked just with a little garlic, chilli and extra virgin olive oil and tossed in a good spaghetti.
I love clams cooked just with a little garlic, chilli and extra virgin olive oil and tossed in a good spaghetti.
- Carbohydrate 84.6985000681501 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 6.333700004568 g
- Fiber 5.70599998900178 g
- Protein 15.9243000126397 g
- Saturated Fat 1.39682000107686 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (160g)
- Sodium 14781.205625693 mg
- Sugar 78.9925000791483 g
- Trans Fat 1.16754625094786 g
- Calories 464 calories
Step-by-step
- Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the spaghetti as you prepare the clams.
- Heat a frying pan on medium with 2 tbsp of oil and half the garlic. Add the breadcrumbs and stir for about 5 minutes until lightly golden. Season with a little salt and pepper and remove to a bowl. In the frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add the rest of the garlic and the chillies. Cook for a couple of minutes until lightly golden and add the clams and wine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for about 5 mins or until all the clams have opened and released all their delicious juices. With the lid off, reduce juices slightly and season with salt, pepper and the parsley. Add the cooked spaghetti, toss to cover, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and spoon into individual serving bowls.
- To serve
- Finish by sprinkling the breadcrumbs and the pecorino on top. Great with a glass of Chianti.
- This recipe is featured in the book, Spring which is available now in all good bookstores RRP $34.95. To order direct call 1300 656 059 or visit www.smh.com.au/store
Coordinating the exact moment tender spaghetti finishes boiling with the precise point that fresh clams pop open under a tight lid requires careful synchronization, because overcooked shellfish turns rubbery within seconds. When scaling this dish up for a larger group or down for a single portion, maintaining the proper ratio of liquid to pasta starch dictates whether the sauce clings to the noodles or pools watery at the bottom of the bowl. Doubling the ingredient quantities means utilizing a sufficiently large sauté pan so that the bivalves sit in a shallow, even layer rather than stacking deep, ensuring steam reaches every shell simultaneously.
Adjusting proportions accurately prevents uneven cooking, particularly when modifying garlic and dried chili quantities to maintain a balanced heat profile. Standard kitchen scales or measuring spoons become necessary when halving or quartering components like the wine and olive oil, avoiding a heavy-handed pour that overwhelms the delicate oceanic flavor of the fresh seafood. Home cooks should also note that substituting fresh breadcrumbs with dried pantry alternatives changes the absorption rate during the five-minute browning phase in the skillet, requiring watchful eyes to prevent burning.
Fresh bivalves demand immediate preparation upon purchase, whereas preserved ingredients like canned clams or dried herbs alter the moisture content and require less reduction time during the final toss. Utilizing fresh garlic cloves sliced uniformly thin ensures they release their aromatics into the oil without scorching before the wine hits the hot pan.
