# Pasta alla Vongole



## legend_018 (Sep 17, 2010)

Anyone have any insights on making these? Any special recipes? 

I never made them before, but I did buy little clams (about 2 lbs) and plan on giving it a whirl tomorrow. 

Found a few all fairly similar recipes using google. Thought I'd ask my favorite foodie friends if they have any hints, tricks, family recipes etc. with these.


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## mollyanne (Sep 18, 2010)

Sounds like a delicious plan to me. Don't forget when plating to sprinkle plenty of chopped fresh italian parsley (or spring greens) all over the top and plate for color, nutrition, and appeal. I like to coat the parsley with a little olive oil first.


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## buckytom (Sep 18, 2010)

i usually start with sauteeing a little small diced onions and a lot of minced garlic in evoo and butter.

when it just starts to toast, i add a can (with it's liquid) of whole baby clams or chopped clams along with the fresh clams in the shell, and a little water or clam juice if i have it on hand.

cover and let simmer a few minutes until the fresh clams open up. then, hit it with a handful of fresh parsley, toss with pre-cooked thin linguini, and sprinkle with grated locatelli or grana padano, and a final garnish of parsley.


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## zfranca (Sep 19, 2010)

I found a recipe from one of my old Italian cookbooks and surprisingly it does not use clams. See if you like it:


Spaghetti con le vongole a mare

_Interesting recipe for a “vongoleless” presentation._
_ _
*Ingredients:*
500 gr.
Spaghetti
2.5 oz
Butter (at room temperature)
3
Anchovy filets
2 TBS
Olive oil
2
Cloves of garlic (smashed)
10 oz
Diced tomatoes
S&p
To taste
1 TBS
Chopped parsley 

*Directions:*
1. Make a paste with butter and chopped anchovies. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
2. In a skillet, over medium heat, warm oil and garlic. (Remove garlic before it turns brown). Add chopped tomatoes and cook briefly. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste (keep in mind that the anchovy paste will add more saltiness.) and cook a few more minutes, and quickly pure it with a hand held electric chopper. Remove from heat and mix in the parsley. 
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil and drop the spaghetti. Toward the end of the cooking time, crumble the butter/anchovy paste on the bottom of the serving bowl and as soon as the spaghetti are cooked and drained, and toss them of top of the butter. Stir well and add tomato sauce. Stir it again and serve immediately.


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## Andy M. (Sep 19, 2010)

I have to question any recipe for pasta with clam sauce that does not include clams.


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## zfranca (Sep 19, 2010)

Me too...I think this particular recipe tries to copy the taste of the clams by using the butter and anchovies.
However, I copied this recipe from "ITALY The beautiful COOKBOOK by Lorenza De'Medici":
Spaghetti alle vongole 

_This sauce may be prepared with or without tomatoes. If tomatoes are used, 1 lb (500g) are added to the oil and garlic and left to reduce for 1 hour. The opened clams are added to the sauce with the reduced clam liquid for the last five minutes of cooking._
_ _
*Ingredients:*
4 lb (2Kg)
Clams in the shell or 18 oz (560g) canned baby clams in water, drained and liquid reserved.
½ cup 
Extra virgin olive oil
6
Garlic cloves, chopped
 
salt
13 0z (410g)
Spaghetti
¼ cup
Chopped parsley
 
 
 
 

*Directions:*
1. Scrub the clams well and rinse them. Place in a large skillet over moderate heat until all the shells have opened; discard any unopened clams. Lift clams from the pan with a slotted spoon, set aside and keep warm.                              
2. Strain the liquid left in the pan and return it to the heat. Add pepper and cook the liquid over fairly high heat until reduced to ¼ cup. 
3. Pour the oil into a small skillet, add the garlic and fry gently until golden. At the same time, bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil, add spaghetti and cook until _al dente._
4. Drain the spaghetti and place in a serving bowl. Toss with the oil, garlic and clam cooking liquid. Scatter the clams on top, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Serves 6.
I noticed she lists 13 0z of spaghetti for serving 6 people. This may indicate a rather small serving as a first course.


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## legend_018 (Sep 19, 2010)

My husbands family makes a nice dish using canned clams. Basically the same thing, well in a way very different since there not using real clams. but same idea and everyone loves it. I'll have to dig it out sometime.


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## jackjonson (Sep 24, 2010)

zfranca said:


> I found a recipe from one of my old Italian cookbooks and surprisingly it does not use clams. See if you like it:
> 
> 
> Spaghetti con le vongole a mare
> ...



i don't think that is a good idea use butter in this recipe.
Cut garlic in small pieces and put them in a pan with some olive oil! leave for a while and put the anchovies, add salt. Cook the anchovies for 10minutes...boiled water and cook spagnetti, then add them in the anchovies pan, turn everything and add oil again with some fresh parsley. That's all!

the secret is to use a good olive oil and fresh anchovies! Some example:
Sell Gourmet food Olive Oil - Frantoio Sagario Extra-virgin olive oil - Purchase Gourmet food
http://www.nifeislife.com/oils-c-78_98.htm

olive oil online,buy olive oil online - Italytaste


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