Spaghetti Vongole

Had a great day out yesterday with some friends. Had the last of the homemade pasta in the fridge and all it took was a bunch of clams to make this one. I love the vongole dish! We always end up making it a few times a year, which is saying something in a house that doesn't run a lot of repeats! The clams were of superb quality and made the sauce excellent. This is a a super quick on to throw together.

2 kg fresh palourdes (carpet shell clams) in the shell
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
300 g dried spaghetti or linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 fat garlic cloves, peeled
1 banana shallot, peeled and roughly sliced
1 small red chile, quartered lengthways
handful of basil stalks
75 ml dry white wine
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Scrub the clams under cold running water and discard any that do not close tightly when gently tapped on the work surface. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for pasta. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.

Cook the clams about 6 minutes before the pasta will be ready. Heat another large pan and add the olive oil. Tip in the clams and throw in the garlic, shallot, chile and basil stalks. Pour in the wine and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Shake the pan and leave to steam for 3-4 minutes until the clams have opened. Tip the clams into a colander set over a large clean bowl. Discard any that have not opened.

Pour the clam juices back into the pan and boil for a few minutes until thickened slightly. Throw in the parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Clams are naturally salty so you may find that you only need pepper.

Drain the pasta thoroughly. Immediately add to the sauce and toss to coat. Return the clams to the pan and toss again. Divide between warm plates and serve immediately, with chunks of crusty bread to mop up the juices.