Spaghetti alle Vongole

One of our all-time-favourites is Spaghetti alle Vongole Veracci. A dish we both have sampled through the years on several trips to Italy. And have been trying to recreate on several occasions – both separately and together. In fact it was the favorite dish of MK for a couple of years until she turned her attention to Pesto.

To get venus clams in Denmark is not an easy task. If you are to buy it through regular channels you will have to order in advance as fishmongers will not take this home as part of their standard offering. Today T got it from Metro where it can be found now and then (but please don't tell anyone). Like all good Italian pasta dishes the recipe is very simple even if does have a thousand variations, depending upon the maker.

This is how we made it today.

For two hungry persons (OK we are often hungry but on this day we had been working out and could be so with a clearer conscience)

One shallot finely chopped
1½ half de-seeded chili
2 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
Olive oil
800-900 grams of venus clams
Chopped parsley
A squeeze of lemon juice
App. 2 glasses of dry white wine
2 spoonfuls of butter
s/p

3-400 gr Spaghettini

Once the pasta has been put into the water you have approximately 10 minutes to prepare the vongole

Fry the shallot, garlic and chilli in olive oil in a large Sauter pan for 30-40 seconds. Add the rinsed clams and let them cook for app. 3-4 minutes. Add the white wine and lemon juice and heat up. Add the parsley and butter and finally stir it all together with the drained pasta and serve.

– Today was one of the better editions, to say the least.

We had a bottle of Donnafugata Vigna di Gabri Contessa Entellina 2009 from the Ansonica grape. It was intense and with some fresh acidity that goes well with the dish. We make it 9/10 for the dish, 8/10 for the wine and together 9/10. At other times we have been drinking some of the other Italian whites. T prefers the Greco di Tufo for this dish, but alas we didn't have any on this occasion.