Pasta Vongole, so incredibly good and easy to make!
Summer on a plate! Best with a glass of chilled white wine.
The most important thing about this dish is that you rinse the shells well.
Leave them in the fridge for 2 hours with cold water so they can “spit” out all the sand.
Cut the garlic and chili into smaller pieces and make small cubes of the tomato and onion.
Finely chop parsley leaves and you are ready to start.
Add water to pasta, fry onion and garlic, add shells and white wine and put
on lid and let the shells cook for 3-4 minutes.
Wine tips for this must be a Soave from Italy.
Here I have several dinner tips with pasta
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🍷 Wine pairing
Soave Classico: Pasta vongole with clams and garlic is made for a crisp, mineral white wine. Soave Classico from Veneto in Italy is the classic choice — elegant almond notes and citrus freshness that perfectly enhance the seafood flavors. Vermentino from Sardinia or a Muscadet from the Loire Valley are equally good alternatives.
Pasta Vongole
Ingredients
Method
- 2 hours before cooking, rinse the clams in cold water and place them in a bowl of cold water in the fridge. The clams will release their sand, you will see all the sand at the bottom of the bowl when you take them out.
- Bring water to a boil for the pasta in a large pot.
- Find a pot big enough for the clams, add 2 tbsp olive oil and heat.
- Sauté the shallots and half the garlic (1 clove) until the onion is translucent.
- Pour in white wine, cover with a lid and raise the heat. Let the clams cook for 3-4 minutes or until they open. Throw away any clams that do not open.
- You can choose whether to strain the broth. I do not, because there is so much flavor in the onion.
- Pick the meat out of about half the clams. Keep the rest in their shells for decoration.
- Use a large frying pan or the same pot you cooked the clams in.
- Add 3 tbsp olive oil, tomatoes, chili and garlic and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the clam broth and let it reduce so the flavors come together.
- Add the clams and parsley, pour over the pasta and mix.
- Season with salt and pepper and squeeze over lemon.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Tips and variations
- Use fresh clams and rinse them thoroughly. Discard any that don’t close when tapped against the counter.
- Steam the clams for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from heat as soon as they open. Overcooked clams become rubbery.
- Salt the pasta water generously and use a little of the starchy water to bind the sauce for a smoother texture.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pasta Vongole
Yes, frozen mussels work well as a substitute. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and rinse thoroughly. Fresh clams give the most authentic flavor, but frozen mussels are a great option when fresh clams are unavailable.
Linguine is the traditional choice for Pasta Vongole, but spaghetti or spaghettoni work equally well. Choose a long, thin pasta that can soak up the briny, garlicky sauce beautifully.
You can substitute white wine with a combination of seafood stock and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The flavor will be slightly milder, but still delicious. The wine primarily helps open the shells and adds acidity.
A dry Italian white wine is the classic pairing — Soave, Pinot Grigio, or Verdicchio are all excellent choices. Use the same wine you cook with, served chilled alongside the dish.
Clams need only 3–4 minutes with the lid on over medium-high heat. They are ready when the shells open. Discard any clams that remain closed after cooking — these are not safe to eat.