Spaghetti alle Vongole

Method

1. 1

   Purge the clams 2 hours in cold water in the refrigerator with 30 g salt per liter, changing the water once. Scrub, and discard any with cracked shells or that stay open when tapped.Purge the clams 2 hours in cold water in the refrigerator with 1 oz (30 g) salt per liter, changing the water once. Scrub, and discard any with cracked shells or that stay open when tapped.

   Start 120 min timer
2. 2

   Warm the oil with the crushed garlic, parsley stems, and chile in your widest pan until the garlic turns ivory.

3. 3

   Raise the heat, add the clams (and wine if using), cover, and let them open in the steam, shaking the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard any clams that remain closed after cooking.

   Start 3 min timer
4. 4

   Tip everything into a bowl. Strain the liquor through a fine sieve back into the pan; shell half the clams, keep the rest dressed.

5. 5

   Boil the spaghetti in lightly salted water and lift them out 3 minutes early, straight into the simmering clam liquor.

   Start 3 min timer
6. 6

   Finish the pasta in the pan, tossing and adding pasta water as it drinks, until al dente in a sauce that clings. Return all the clams for the last minute.

7. 7

   Off the heat, rain in the chopped parsley and a thread of raw oil, toss hard to emulsify, and serve immediately.