Linguine pasta alle vongole (linguine with clams)
Of all the wonderful seafood pasta recipes there are here in Italy, pasta alle vongole is probably the top of the best seller list. Not surprising given how delicious this iconic Neapolitan dish is! This linguine pasta alle vongole is my Sicilian hubby’s recipe. He’s pretty generous with the garlic and peperoncino but it’s just the way I like it!
(Scroll down to get to the recipe)
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Red or white?
Like many other similar dishes, pasta with clams is traditionally made in what Italians call a red or white version (rosso o bianco); in other words, with tomatoes or without. We normally eat it without tomatoes. My hubby is the chef when we want to eat pasta alle vongole. Being Sicilian, he’s a star when it comes to seafood dishes and I’m happy to leave him to it. In my opinion, his pasta with clams is the best I’ve ever tasted and I’m not saying that because we’re married!
My Sicilian husband Salvatore serving his linguine pasta alle vongole
The clams or vongole.
The main ingredient for a ‘real’ pasta alle vongole is ‘vongola verace’ commonly known as the cross-cut carpet shell clam. This ridged shell clam is found both farmed and wild here in Italy, but I’ve read that the taste is the same as they eat only what’s in the sea. If you do find vongole veraci, they can be a bit more expensive than other clams. But they are worth it! However, apart from being really delicious, these clams are self-cleaning so they’re unlikely to have sand in them and make the dish much easier to prepare.
Of course, many people make pasta alle vongole with other types of clams. The Manila clam, which many Italians call the fake ‘verace’, is widely farmed in the Adriatic sea and Sardinia. Consequently these are used by many cooks to make pasta alle vongole.
Manila clams look very similar to vongole veraci. Another popular clam is the rayed artemis clam. These are smaller, whiter and more rounded but still taste really good too! Of course it’s possible to use tinned clams, but in my opinion you won’t get anywhere near the same flavour, as with fresh clams.
The pasta.
Traditionally this recipe is made with spaghetti, vermicelli or linguine. We used linguine made by Pasta Liguori, one of the producers of Pasta di Gragnano IGP. This is one of the best pastas in Italy and worth looking out for! I prefer linguine for this dish because this pasta has more surface area to soak up the sauce. But, any narrow long pasta works well. Italians don’t usually use short pasta in this dish.
Other ingredients.
Apart from the linguine and clams, this linguine pasta alle vongole recipe has very few other ingredients. In fact, most versions contain nothing more than garlic, peperoncino (Italian red chili pepper), white wine, olive oil and parsley.
I recently read an article about this recipe that said, if you’re going to spend a bit for fresh clams, then you don’t want to smother their taste with lots of other flavours. I really agree with this point of view! Having said that, my hubby is pretty generous with the garlic and peperoncino. But, you can use less if you prefer!
Nota Bene!
There are just 2 points that need care to make sure your linguine pasta alle vongole is perfect. Firstly, in this version the clams are cooked alone first. Then you will need to remove the meat from most of them, keeping just a few in their shells to make the dish look more appetizing! It’s important to discard any unopened shells as this means the clam is dead. Don’t try to open and eat unopened clams! Secondly, if the liquid from the clams appears to have sand in it then it’s best to filter it before adding the cooked clams and liquid to the rest of the sauce ingredients.
Easy to make.
This is a dish that many people order in restaurants but rarely make at home. However, it’s actually pretty easy and there’s no residue fishy smell in the kitchen. What you’ll get is a wonderful garlicky aroma that is so mouth- watering! My hubby is quite generous with the garlic and peperoncino, as we like it that way, but you can reduce the quantities if you prefer. We sometimes cook the clams and eat them without pasta, just a bit of bread to soak up the sauce. Delicious too!
If you make this recipe I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
If you like linguine you will probably love these other classic recipes from Campania
Linguine al limone (with lemon and cream)
If you like seafood pasta recipes check out these traditional ones too
Baked fish ravioli from Liguria
Fregola with clams from Sardinia
Mussels alla Tarantina from Puglia
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Linguine pasta alle vongole (linguine with clams)
Ingredients
- 320-400 g linguine (11-14oz) or vermicelli or spaghetti
- 800 g fresh clams (1.8lbs) about 200g/7oz per person
- 3-5 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 1 peperoncino (red chili pepper) or dried flakes amount depends on your preference
- 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 handfuls fresh parsley finely chopped
- salt to taste (we don’t add it to the pasta cooking water)
- 1/2 glass dry white wine
Instructions
- Chop the peeled garlic and parsley finely. If using a whole fresh or dried red chili chop finely too. Remove the seeds to make it milder. Be careful not to touch your eyes or mouth after doing this and wash your hands well before continuing to cook.
- Wash the clams in cold water and remove any with broken shells. Some kinds of clams need a lot of rinsing if they have sand in them. But you can also filter the liquid after you have precooked them, so don’t worry so much about the sand.
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When it starts to boil add the pasta. You probably don’t need salt as the clams will already be a little salty.
- While the water is boiling for the pasta, put the clams in a deep frying pan and cook covered over a medium to high heat until they have opened. (about 5 minutes)
- Allow the clams to cool a little and then remove the meat from most of the clam shells keeping some intact. Discard the empty shells and, if necessary, filter the liquid that the clams have produced. Don’t discard it.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
- Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet. Add the garlic and peperoncino. Cook until the garlic starts to soften. Add the clams (with shells and without) with their liquid to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Then, add the white wine and cook further until the alcohol evaporates. Finally, add the parsley and the rest of the olive oil. Continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes and then turn off the heat.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the pan with the cooked clams. Mix everything together well and serve immediately with another sprinkling of chopped parsley, if required.
Purging the clams
- With vongole veraci it’s usually not necessary to do more than rinse the clams under running water. So we never purge them.
- However, some people prefer to purge the clams of sand before cooking them. This involves filling a large bowl with cold water and stirring in enough salt to make it salty like the sea. Adding the clams and letting them stand for 30 minutes. The clams will open and release any sand they have inside. You then need to lift the clams from the water and discard the water. If there is sand in the bottom of the bowl, rinse it out and repeat this process until the clams no longer release sand into the water (usually 2 to 3 purging cycles). Discard any clams that are gaping open and refuse to close when prodded.
Notes
Thanks very much this recipe and for the myriad of others that you so generously publish; I look forward to every one of them! My question relates to the use of bottled clam juice as a supplement to naturally occurring juices in the clams. What do you think?
Hi Albert, thanks for your comment. I’m happy you like the recipes I publish! Re clam juice, to be honest I’ve never tried using it in cooking as we use the liquid fresh clams produce themselves. I would think if it’s a natural clam juice, it should work but you might want to check how much salt (sodium) is in it and adjust the recipe accordingly. I also can’t tell you how much to use. If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
This was the first recipe I tried for vongole and it was delicious. I actually tried a couple others afterwards, just out of curiosity, including those where you cook the claims with garlic and wine, and none came out as tasty as this one which was the very best. And my wife who lives linguine alle vongole agrees!
So I highly recommend it and am thankful of the author!
Dear Clement, thanks for your very complimentary comment. I’ll show it to my hubby Salvatore since this is really his version of alle vongole! We agree with you. It’s better when you open the clams separately. I’ve actually given up ordering pasta with clams in restaurants because it’s never as good as this one.All the best from Verona!
My clams were Manila, not the vongola verace. When I cooked them as you directed, I had almost no remaining liquid (I did cook them about 5 mins and they were perfectly tender). Consequently, I ended up having to add a spoonful of pasta water to the oil/garlic/pepper/clam/wine/parsley mix, but it was still a little less “juicy” than I’d like (and as your photos show). Any thoughts on making this a little juicier? Is more pasta water the way to go? Flavor was still delicious.
Hi Jeff thanks for your comment. I guess different types of clams may produce less liquid. The reason we open them separately is to prevent any sandy liquid getting into the sauce. But if your clams don’t produce liquid you could open them in the pot with the oil, garlic, wine etc. But I would suggest purging them well before. If the finished dish is still a bit dry for your taste, yes add a bit more pasta cooking water and perhaps a dash of extra virgin olive oil! Some Italians make a red alle vongole with tomato sauce. You could also try that. Open clams separately, saute garlic, peperoncino etc add tomato sauce to it, simmer for a few minutes then add the clams with their liquid filtered (if any). I’m glad to hear your alle vongole was still delicious. It’s my favourite seafood pasta recipes.
Hello, I haven’t made this yet, but it looks great. I have a question: how do you cook the clams? I imagine you add some water to the pan and simmer them, but I did not see any instructive in the recipe. Please let me know, because I plan to make this dish in 7 days. 🙂
Hi Jim thanks for your comment. There are 2 ways to cook the clams. We don’t add anything to the pan where the clams first cook. Just put them in (after rinsing/purging), cover and cook until they are all open. They produce some liquid themselves which may need to be filtered if it has sand in it. Some people open the clams in a pot with garlic and oil and even some wine. And then continue cooking in the same pot. My Sicilian hubby prefers to open the clams separately. This recipe is his version and I’ve eaten it many times. It’s very good! Let me know how yours turns out!
Make it constantly. Try adding a little anchovy paste to olive oil. Also, Momma said a pinch of oregano might give it some zing
I would love to add calamari and scrimp to this. At what point do I add that and how would you suggest cooking it together. I am basically looking to make a nice Christmas seafood over pasta dish. many thanks.
Hi Adam, thanks for your comment. If I were to add calamari and shrimps to this dish, I would cook the calamari separately as they require more cooking. You can cook them in some olive oil with garlic for 15-20 minutes but check them. It depends on how large the pieces are. The shrimp, if fresh, don’t need much time so you can add them to the clams for the last 2-3 minutes. Put everything together before adding the pasta.
Thank you for the help. It came out wonderful. I also have some pictures that I can send along if you would like.
I’m so glad your pasta came out well Adam. Would love to see pics! Please share on my FB group pastaliciousness or send me via email or add photos to my pin for this recipe on Pinterest if you use it! https://www.pinterest.it/pin/745908757010690013/ Happy New Year from Verona!
Thanks a lot for this genuine recipe. I am completely fond of this dish, because of it’s simplicity yet heavenly taste.
I had somewhat too much of the pepperoni, and I better had the juice of the clams distributed more attentively, but nonetheless it was DIVINE!
Hello,
I have questions about the overall flavour of the dish as I just made this and it was a bit bland and low on acid (so I added lemon zest and juice).
Now, logically I know that I used different ingredients (the clams), brands (the olive oil, wine) in different amounts (200+ grams clams, maybe ten) which would alter the flavour and yet everything was proportionally reduced so before I ask how I can improve the dish I’d like to know what I should have expected to begin with?
I really think part of the blandness came from the lack of clam juice/meat (I live just far enough away from three oceans to be limited in choice) and probably the wine choice (vidal chardonnay) or maybe I’m just too Canadian and expect flavour to punch me in the face. Any tips would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Hello Jess, thank you for your comment. I’m sorry to hear that your pasta alle vongole didn’t turn out that well. It’s difficult to know why exactly without seeing what you used. Did you use fresh clams? I think this dish definitely requires fresh clams and a good amount to get the right flavour. We usually aim for 200g per person. However, these are quite small clams so you get quite a lot. The liquid the clams produce is pretty important too. The rest of the flavour comes from the oil, garlic, red chili pepper and parsley! My hubby says the wine isn’t so important. In reality, this dish tastes almost like a mild ‘aglio, olio, peperoncino’ with clams and should have a lot of flavour. In fact, we often make the clams without pasta and eat them with bread to dip in the sauce, although we double the quantity of clams for that. Do let me know if you have other questions. All the best from Verona.
This looks so delicious , nice to learn the recipe as well!
The best! Loved every bite!
So happy you enjoyed this pasta alle vongole Rho! It’s my hubby’s signature dish and we eat it often. I have to say I never tire of it!
Wow, have to try this. One question: In step 4, do you cook the clams in oil or any liquid? Or just put them in a dry pan with a lid?
Hi Cheever, thanks for your comment. I’m sure you’ll love this pasta with clams. Re your question, we don’t put any liquid with the clams. They will release some liquid themselves. Once they are all open, remove from the heat. You don’t want to overcook them.
I Followed the recipe exactly with all ingredients. Was excellent. However, the clams produced a significant amount of juice after heatng them on their own. So when added everything into the pan, I ended up cooking the clams too long because I was trying to reduce the amount of water. I thought the sauce should be a bit thicker. Perhaps add the clam juice to pan with the garlic and chilli and reduce a bit before adding the clams in.
Definitely 5 stars!
Hi Teddy, thanks for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed this dish. It’s definitely one of my favourites! Re clam juice. It could be that different kinds of clams produce more liquid than others, in which case it’s probably a good idea not to use all the clam juice or do as you suggested and reduce it before adding back the clams.
Thanks for the recipe. The sauce was glorious but when I added the pasta, it didn’t seem to stick to the pasta well. I don’t know if I used too much pasta (70% of 1lb box), but the flavor on the pasta seemed a bit diluted and not as good as when I tasted the sauce itself with a spoon. Any ideas?
Hi Frank, thanks for your comment. It’s difficult to know why your sauce didn’t stick to the pasta and didn’t taste as good with the pasta as without. I don’t think the amount of pasta was too much if you used the quantities of ingredients in the recipe. The only reason that comes to mind is the quality of your pasta. What make was it? Pasta that isn’t bronze extruded (made using bronze dies) is far less absorbent and the sauce tends to ‘slip’ off it.
I must be blind – was looking forward to a recipe and scrolling back and forth and there appears to not be one?!
Hi Ann, thanks for letting me know. It seems that the recipe disappeared. Must be some glitch on the site. I have reinserted it!
It was delicious. My wifey is very discerning and she slurped her way through the meal.
The small changes I made was that I cooked the clams in 1/2 cup of white wine, covered. I would have added some fresh ground pepper, and didn’t have any parsley so I substituted with green onion (gulp). It was a hit! I also wish I had a baguette or Italian bread to sop up the sauce, it was so goooooooood!
Hi Peter! Am glad you enjoyed this dish! It’s one of my favourites. Yes soaking up the sauce with bread is a must! Almost the best part of the whole meal!
I’m Italian, and grew up with simple pasta dishes such as this. Your husband’s technique was a bit different than I’ve used in the past. I followed this to the letter, and the resulting dish was perfection. Thank you!
This is such a favorite dish – so easy but delicious. I have lovely memories enjoying it in Rome, really should make it at home soon. Yours looks great!
This is making me so hungry! It looks absolutely yummy and we love clams in our house, so I can’t wait to make it!
Thanks for the note about unopened clams. So good to know!
Wow, this is absolutely divine. I love everything about this linguine with clams!
This has been on my to-make list for way too long, you’ve inspired me to get to it ~ I love mine white, with tiny clams, yum!
Thank you for BEAUTIFUL reminder to make this lovely dish, forgive me, but I will use Angel Hair or Capellinni pasta to lower carbs + because clams are so delicate. I would use fettucini if I added mussles + scallops to this recipe plus red pepper flake for a Fra Diavolo version! Uh oh, my tummy is growling…
Thanks for your comment Nina! I’m glad you liked my post! I think angel hair would go well with the clams! This is my favourite seafood pasta, especially since my Sicilian hubby usually makes it for me! I think I fell in love with him because of this dish! The way to this girl’s heart is def through her stomach!!
Mmmm I love all things pasta and my husband loves seafood. I’ll definitely have to try this one. Thanks for sharing!
I’m sure you and your hubby will love this dish Rosa!
Wowie! I didn’t have all the fresh ingredients you used, which I’m jealous about. But I made a similar version and it came out fantastic. Ciao!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe Jenna!
We ate this in Rome and I have been meaning to make it at home. Thanks for the reminder!
I’m sure the pasta alle vongole you had in Rome was really good, Dannii! It’s quite easy to make at home, I’m sure you’ll enjoy making it!
This dish is unique and pasta is one of my family favorite too. Love the flavors infused to making this. Have to try it this weekend.
This is a wonderful classic seafood pasta recipe Veena! I’m sure you’ll love it!
What a gorgeous and delicious dish! Truly an elegant meal – I can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t be impressed!
Thank you Monica! Yes linguine alla vongole is definitely a dish to impress guests with and it’s actually quite easy to make too!
Such a good recipe especially to have on a special occasion or date night. Pasta is one of my favorites and it’s just so comforting.
Thanks for your comment Stephanie! Yes this is a fab recipe for special occasions!
My husband loves any kind of seafood dish and loves pasta too, so this would be perfect for him.
Pasta and seafood is so delicious Danielle! I’m sure your hubby would love this!
This is my kind of pasta! My family would love this!
I’m sure they will Jessica! This is so delicious!
Oh, clams are a favorite of mine, and this looks so flavorful. It’d be such a nice pasta dish for the holidays. Can’t wait to try it!
I love clams too Amanda, especially cooked this way! I’m sure you’ll love this dish!
This dish pasta and clam dish look so, so good. Perfect dinner with a glass of wine after a long day.
Thank you Erin! Yes a glass of wine is a must!
I love all the ingredients in this recipe! So fresh, and your photos are so helpful in preparing all the parts of this simple but sumptuous meal.
Thank you Sally! I’m happy you like the photos!
This looks so good! Wish I was there when you made this pasta dish :)!
There’s always room and enough foods for guests at our table Julia!
I was just telling my fiance how my parents would make linquine with clam sauce when I was growing up. They used canned sauce, but this fresh version looks incredibly! We love tons of garlic and spice too, so no cutting back here!
Fresh clams are definitely best Lauren but I know they aren’t easy to find everywhere! I’m sure your parents made great pasta alle vongole!
What a great recipe! So simple, beautiful ingredients, and full of flavor! I’ve never played with clams and I need to do that soon! Thanks for sharing this beauty…pinned!
Grazie Traci! Yes sometimes the simplest combination of ingredients are the tastiest as this recipe proves! I hope you’ll try it!
Oh my goodness. How lucky to have a cooking husband! And Sicilian to boot! That dish looks like one I could sink my teeth into.
Thanks Pam, yes I feel blessed that my hubby loves to cook, especially seafood!
Pasta alle vongole is my favourite pasta dish. I just love it.
Can’t wait to try your version 😀
Thanks Claire! It’s one of my favourites too, especially when cooked by my hubby! I’m sure you’ll love this version! All the best from Verona! Jacqui
I’m a vongole girl all the way, and white wine too. You have shared my fave pasta with some great tips and info for me to take on, thanks!
Thanks Sara, glad you found the post useful! I’m a vongole girl too! I could eat this every week! Hugs from Verona, Jacqui
I absolutely adore seafood pasta so this sounds amazing to me. This looks absolutely incredible, I’ll have to give it a try
Thanks so much Bintu! Yes, seafood pasta is the best, especially in summer! Am sure you’ll love this recipe! Love from Verona! Jacqui
I want to dive right into this pasta bowl. I love clams and I never make them at home because I just feel like it’s a hassle. You make it look easy and I love all your step by step photos. Lovely dish!
Aww thanks a lot Karen! Actually clams are easy to make at home. They don’t take long and don’t make the house smell of fish! We eat them a lot, even without pasta! I hope you’ll try cooking them yourself! Baci from Verona! Jacqui
We were in Italy last week and enjoyed so many amazing pasta dishes. This looks like heaven!
How nice that you were so recently here in Italy Linda! Yes, so many amazing pasta dishes to eat here! Sometimes it’s impossible to choose! But certainly, you are right, this dish is heaven! Baci from Verona! Jacqui
My favourite pasta al Bello Fratello! xxx
Thank you bella sorella! I know you love it! We’ll have some ready for you next time you come to visit! Baci
It was very interesting to find out about the different types of clam – there are so many! But this linguine pasta alle vongole is definitely one of a kind!
Happy that you liked this post and recipe Helena! Yes pasta alle vongole is a very special dish loved by many including me!! Hugs from Verona, Jacqui.