Directly from Versilia: spaghetti with clams

The recipe for spaghetti with clams comes from Tuscany, where these shellfish are found in abundance. Let's see how to prepare it!

If you are a regular visitor to Tuscany and its Riviera you will surely have already tried spaghetti with clams. Today's recipe, in fact, is very popular in the area, where clams are found in abundance under the sand.

Also called cockles in the Marche and Abruzzo or calcinelli in Tuscany, these molluscs should not be confused with clams, which they closely resemble. The mollusk in question has a flatter and elongated shape and only reaches about 2/3 centimeters in size. However, we leave you an article where the difference between clams and clams is explained.

In any case, this is a quick and easy first course, without too many frills but with great flavour: you don't need anything other than pasta, shellfish, white wine and herbs. Here is the recipe for spaghetti with clams, simple and delicious!

Preparation of spaghetti with clams

1. First, start by letting the clams purge for a couple of hours in water and salt and remember to change the water several times if you see that they are purging a lot of sand. The procedure is the same as that used for clams . This step is essential if you don't want to risk feeling the grains under your teeth when you taste the dish!
2. At this point, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water.
3. It's time to cook the clams . In a pan, heat a drizzle of oil and add the shellfish. Add the white wine, put the lid on and let them open. It will take about 5 minutes .
4. Now transfer them to a plate, shell half of them and filter their liquid , which we will use later.
5. Put the clams back in the pan with a drizzle of oil, garlic and chilli pepper, if desired. Add their filtered liquid and the drained pasta al dente with a little cooking water.
6. Allow the flavors to blend for a few minutes and then flavor with freshly chopped parsley .

The most famous variant of pasta with clams involves the addition of cherry tomatoes . In this case you will need 250 g . Cut them in half and, after opening the clams, place them in the same pan with the oil and garlic called for in the recipe. Cook for 5 minutes then add the clams, the liquid and the pasta.

Another way to make this dish even creamier is to risotto the pasta or cook it directly in the liquid released by the clams by adding boiling water little by little, just as you usually do for risottos. In this video you can see the result.

Do you love this mollusc? Then also try the Sardinian recipe , that of fregola with clams !

Conservation

Like all fish first courses, in this case too we recommend immediate consumption . You can at most benefit from a few hours in opening the clams but we do not recommend storing them once cooked.

Riproduzione riservata © - WT