Spaghetti alle Vongole
This is my version of the wonderful dish Spaghetti alle Vongole , this Venetian seafood classic is loved throughout Italy, and is one of my favourites , simple an quick to make.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 kg small clams, from sustainable sources, I’m using Venus clams, scrubbed clean
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 cloves garlic
10 cherry tomatoes
250 ml white wine
250g prawns
400 g dried spaghetti, for a more dramatic dish I’m using squid ink spaghetti
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1-2 dried chillies
1-2 fresh chillies sliced
Oh and before we start cooking a glass of wine might be needed 😉
Method
1,Place a large pan of water on to boil.
2, check through your cleaned clams and if there are any that aren’t tightly closed, give them a sharp tap. If they don’t close, throw them away.
3, Place a large pan with a lid on a high heat and let it heat up.
4,Finely slice the parsley stalks, then put them to one side and roughly chop the leaves. Peel and chop the garlic, quarter the tomatoes and get your wine ready.
5,Add the pasta to the boiling water with a good amount of salt and cook according to packet instructions until al dente.
6,Aprox 5 minutes before your pasta is ready, Put 4 generous lugs of extra virgin olive oil into the hot pan and add the garlic, parsley stalks and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Crumble in the dried chilli and add the chopped tomatoes. Stir everything around constantly and just as the garlic starts to colour, tip in the clams, prawns and pour in the wine. put the lid on the pan , give a good shake After aprox 3 or 4 minutes the clams will start to open, so keep shuffling the pan around until all of them have opened.
7, Take the pan off the heat. Get rid of any clams that haven’t opened.
8, now the pasta should be just about perfect. Drain and add to the pan of clams along with the parsley leaves and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Stir or toss for a further minute or two to let juices from the clams be absorbed into the pasta.
9,Serve right away in hot dishes
Still don’t fancy making it yourself ! I could come and cook it for you
For more info don’t hesitate to mail or call :
simon.bingham@simons-sauces.com 0031 (0)642297107
simons-sauces 
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