Spaghetti alle vongole

Types of clams

Palourde, or carpet-shell clams, vongola verace, are used; or the small, Mediterranean Wedge Shell (Donax trunculus), also known as the Tellina or "bean clam". Both types are also called arselle in Liguria and Tuscany. In America small cherrystone clams may be substituted.

Preparation

Italians prepare this dish two ways: in bianco, i.e., with oil, garlic, parsley, and sometimes a splash of white wine; and in rosso, like the former but with tomatoes and fresh basil, the addition of tomatoes being more frequent in the south. Traditionally, the bivalves are cooked quickly in hot olive oil to which plenty of garlic has been added. The live clams open during cooking, releasing a liquid that serves as the primary flavoring agent. The clams are then added to the firm pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or vermicelli), along with salt, black pepper (or red pepper), and a handful of finely chopped parsley.

Regional variations

In the Liguria region of Italy, east of Genoa, "Spaghetti alle vongole (veraci)" means spaghetti with tiny baby clams in the shell, no more than the size of a thumbnail, with a white wine/garlic sauce. Linguine also may be used for the pasta in preference to spaghetti.

Italian-American recipes sometimes use cream in this dish, but, although cream has the virtue of amalgamating butter and cheese in some over-the-top sauces for fettucine, it is quite alien to the spirit of Italian cooking.

In America cheese is sometimes added to this dish, although Italians believe it overpowers the simple flavors of the clams and of good quality olive oil.