Spaghetti with Clams

You might like to use either fresh or frozen clams. If using whole clams, the spaghetti and sauce will take up more flavours. To make a kid friendly version, remove the shells and only use calm meat to cook with spaghetti. To get the best results, use fresh parsley, not the dried one.

Prep time: 10 mins + plus soaking clams time
Cook time: 10 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Ingredients:

• 200 gm spaghetti
• 1 kg clams
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp spring onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp basil, roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs continental parsley, roughly chopped + plus more for garnish
• 100 ml white wine

Method:

1. Soak the clams in salted water for 3 hours and let them release sands inside. Rinse and blanch in boiling water until they are slightly open. You don’t need to cook through them at this stage. Drain them in a colander. Set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling water, add 2 teaspoons of salt. Cook the spaghetti until al dente according to the instructions on packaging. Drain in a colander. No need to rinse the spaghetti. Reserve one cup of cooking spaghetti water for later use.
3. While cooking spaghetti, heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Saute garlic, red chilli, basil, spring onion and half of the parsley until aromatic. Add in the clams. Pour in the white wine. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, or until all the clams are open. Toss in the spaghetti. Stir to combine. Add some of the reserved cooking spaghetti water to adjust the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle some olive oil if needed. Add the remaining parsley. Serve immediately.

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