Linguine Vongole
Serves 2
Ingredients
Clams 500g
Linguine 200g
Garlic clove x 4
6-10 cherry tomatoes
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
Fresh red chili (de-seeded)
150ml dry white wine
Method
1. Get a pan of water on the boil, and throw in a couple of pinches of sea salt. While that’s doing its thing, you want to sort and wash the clams. Give any that are open a sharp tap, and if they don’t close, throw them away.
2. Separate the parsley stalks from the leaves, and chop them both up, but leave apart. Peel and finely chop the garlic, quarter the tomatoes, and chop the red chilli.
3. Throw in the linguine, and cook to the packet instructions. Usually around 7-10 mins.
4. When your pasta has around 4-5 minutes left, pour 3-4 good glugs of olive oil in a large hot pan with a lid, and add the garlic, parsley stalks and the chilli (if you’re brave, use the whole one, if you’re not, just use half). Now add your tomatoes. Stir this all around until the garlic gets some colour, then throw in the clams and the white wine. Give the whole thing a little shake and stir, then put the lid on.
5. After 3-4 minutes the clams should start to open. Give the whole pan another shake for a minute, then discard any clams that haven’t opened.
6. Your pasta will be pretty much done now, so drain it off, and add it to the clam pot, along with a little glug of olive oil and the chopped parsley leaves, and a little black pepper. Give it another mix for a minute or two to get the flavours going, and then serve.
Tip
Some people like a vongole bianco (without tomatoes), and some like it rosso (with tomatoes). The choice is yours, but always have it with a chilled bottle of white wine……the rest of the bottle you opened earlier should do nicely!