Spaghetti alle vongole

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Place the clams in a large bowl and soak them in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes to remove any sand or grit. Rinse well and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until just under al dente, about 6 minutes. Reserve some pasta water (at least ¼ cup) before draining.
3. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp (45 ml) of the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook until just golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chili flakes and continue cooking for another 15 to 30 seconds.
4. Add the white wine and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the cleaned clams to the same pan. Cover and cook until they just start to open (about 3 to 6 minutes, depending on the size of the clams).
6. Using tongs, remove the open clams from the pan. Set aside in a bowl.
7. Pour about ¼ cup (60 ml) of the reserved cooking pasta water into the pan and bring to a boil. Toss in the drained pasta and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the juices from the pan.
8. Put the reserved cooked clams and any juices from the bowl back into the pan. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, toss, and transfer to a serving dish or into individual bowls.
9. Garnish with a drizzle of the remaining olive oil and serve immediately.