Spaghetti Vongole

The Tucci Table

Posted by Orion Books

About

There used to be a restaurant at the Museum of Modern Art in New York called Sette Moma that overlooked the peaceful oasis of the sculpture garden. I would often go there to write, as they were kind enough to let me stay at a table for long periods of time and order very little. Without fail, I would have this dish. I loved the way they prepared it: with a touch of fresh tomato and peperoncini. The restaurant is gone now but the owner, Gianfranco Sorrentino, still has two wonderful restaurants in New York, Il Gattopardo on East 54th Street and The Leopard on West 67th, where this dish is still served.

Look for the small vongole (clams) at the fish market, as they are the sweetest. In England, they are known as Palourde or Poole clams.

Serves 4

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You Will Need (8 things)

  • 2 lbs Fresh vongole ( Clams )
  • 1 tbsp Cornmeal
  • 1 lbs Spaghetti
  • ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 Cloves Garlic , cut into slivers
  • 2 to 4 small dried Italian Peperoncini
  • Kosher salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Large handful fresh flat-leaf Parsley , chopped, plus more for serving

Steps (5 steps, 45 minutes)

  1. 1

    First, clean the clams, discarding any with broken shells or that won’t close when you tap them. Place them in a large bowl of cold water with the cornmeal for about half an hour. Then drain and rinse to wash away any grit or sand.

  2. 2

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package

  3. 3

    Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and the peperoncini, and cook until the garlic is fragrant but not colored. Raise the heat to medium and add the clams, shaking the pan and stirring to coat them in the oil and garlic.

  4. 4

    Add a good amount of salt and ground pepper. Add the parsley and toss to coat the clams once more. Put the lid on. Cover the pan and cook, shaking the pan every so often until the clams are open and cooked, about 3 minutes. Discard any that do not open.

  5. 5

    When the pasta and the clams are done, drain the spaghetti, and put it in the pan with the clams, and toss it through. Garnish with a little extra chopped fresh parsley and serve at once.