Spaghetti with vongole

22 April 2025

Spaghetti alle Vongole: The taste of Italian seafood tradition in every bite

If there’s one dish that captures the soul of southern Italy, it’s Spaghetti alle Vongole. A simple dish, yet elegant and bursting with flavor. There is no such thing as the perfume of the oil, garlic, chili flakes and clams. Every time I smell this mouthwatering combination, I imagine its amazing taste.

This classic pasta is more than just a meal, it’s a seaside escape on a plate.

What makes spaghetti alle vongole so special?

If you have ever been to Italy on summer you may already know what I’m talking about. This is the best thing you can smell when walking alongside the restaurants lined on the beach, pretty much everywhere in Italy.

Imagine being on a terrace overlooking the sea, the is sun setting and you have a glass of crisp white wine in hand. As soon as you spaghetti alle vongole arrives its smell inebriates you. You can smell the olive oil with just that kiss of garlic, the sea perfume from the clams and the tanginess of the parsley. That’s Spaghetti alle Vongole.

Why you will love this simple and elegant recipe

This recipe is considered a delicacy, something you treat yourself with when you want to eat a very special dish. In fact, it’s often prepared for ceremonies or on Christmas eve’s dinner. But why should you prepare it at home?

Simplicity: Making spaghetti alle vongole is very easy, you only need four ingredients: clams, olive oil, garlic and parsley. Boil the pasta, sauté it with the seasoning and the dish is ready.
Elegance: if you want to impress your friends and family, this is the recipe for you. Spaghetti alle vongole is the true expression of fine dining. Moreover when you learn how to cook it to perfection, this dish will bring you the true taste of Italy.
Easy to find ingredients: to make this dish you only need few fresh ingredients that are available everywhere in the world. No matter the type of clams you’re going to use, this will still be delicious.

So next time you’re craving something comforting but elegant, try this Italian classic. One bite, and you’ll be dreaming of sun-drenched shores and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

Spaghetti alle vongole: Ingredients

The keys to making this recipe are balance and quality. Since you’re only going to be using a few ingredients, the quality should be top notch.

Vongole (clams) should be very fresh. The freshest the better, to get the distinctive fresh sea taste and scent. When clams are not so fresh the smell is pretty strong and will spoil the recipe.

How to buy the best clams?

Usually I buy fish and seafood only from trusted sources. Clams in Italy are sold in 1kg or 500gr nets. They have a tag with all the information about their origin. Where they’ve been farmed, when they’ve been harvested and so on. You can usually trace back to the source your vongole sachet. If you do not know where to buy fresh you can still resort to frozen. Usually clams are harvested and immediately frozen to maintain freshness, so you’ll get the same quality as fresh. Do not use shelled vongole. They’re not the same and you won’t get the same result. It will still be a good pasta dish, but I highly recommend buying whole clams.

How to purge fresh clams

When you buy fresh clams you need to purge them. The shell will contain sand that needs to be removed. To do so you can:

take a bowl and a sieve or colander that can fit the amount of vongole.
Add a tablespoon salt and cover with abundant water.
Let the clams sit for a couple of hours.
Remove the colander from the bowl and rinse. You should see the sand on the bottom of the bowl.

The best pasta for spaghetti alle vongole

The best pasta you can buy is spaghettoni. It’s a thicker type of spaghetti usually used to make dishes like this where the texture of the pasta is an integral part of the recipe. Spaghettoni cooked al dente are the best you can use. Do not use short pasta. It simply does not go well with this type of sauce. Egg pasta like fettuccine are also not used for this dish. Regular spaghetti pasta is still good.

Tips and variations

The basic recipe uses only the ingredients listed above however there are a few variations you can try to make the dish even tastier.

Tips

Do not overcook the clams: clams should be cooked just until they open. The longer you cook them, the rubbery they become.
No cheese! Cheese is a NO-NO for this dish. While some fish recipes may pair with parmigiana, spaghetti alle vongole to not. Cheese will ruin the taste and elegance of the dish.
Pair it with a good dry white wine (like Vermentino or Pinot Grigio, Falanghina).
Sprinkle with some black pepper and a drizzle of fresh olive oil before serving.

Variations

Chili flakes: you can add some chili flakes when the oil is hot to infuse it with a spicy kick. Do not add to much otherwise you’ll end up loosing the delicate clam taste.
White wine: you can add some white wine when cooking the clams. I personally do not, I like the taste of the clams, and sometimes the wine remove that specific flavor I love.
Anchovies or anchovy paste: this addition will take the dish to another level. Just one anchovy or a quarter teaspoon of anchovy paste will enhance the sea flavor of the dish. Making the clams stand out even more. As with garlic and chili flakes, do not over do. Too much will cover the other flavors.
Pesto: though it might not be a good pairing, clams go very well with pesto. So if you like to make a tasty variation of the classic, you can add a tablespoon of pesto to your spaghetti once they’re done and you’re ready to serve.
Fresh tomatoes: another nice addition to this dish is fresh cherry tomatoes. Or actually any fresh tomatoes you have on hand.

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