Emma de Thouars shares her recipe for the most delicious spaghetti vongole

In her book Noedels, our former colleague Emma de Thouars shares 40 noodle recipes, from super-quick 1-minute noodle sauce to buttery breakfast noodles, ice-cold kimchi noodles, and Korean corn dogs with ramen crispies. Often vegetarian, but there are also dishes for shellfish lovers, such as this spaghetti vongole.

Emma’s spaghetti vongole

Emma: ‘In my eyes, everything about spaghetti vongole is perfect. The amount of ingredients that go into it (few), how quickly it is on the table (very quickly), and how the shells immediately give you a sense of luxury. But also the fact that you can still happily fiddle with it on the spot. I always find it extra fun to still be busy with your food at the table. You engage with your food more mindfully, and it makes things extra convivial. I always remove all the meat from the shells before I dig in. I do the same with this slightly Chinese version of the dish.’

How to make spaghetti vongole

• Place the shells in a bowl of water with a generous pinch of salt and leave for 1 hour. If all goes well, all the sand in the shells will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
• Remove the shells from the water and rinse them briefly under cold running water in a sieve. Check the shells for cracks and discard any broken ones.
• Slice the garlic thinly and cut the ginger into thin strips (julienne).
• Chop the coriander into 2-centimeter pieces.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
• Heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil in a wok or skillet and stir-fry the ginger and garlic for 30 to 60 seconds.
• Add the coriander and chili flakes and fry for 30 seconds.
• Deglaze with the Shaoxing rice wine and add the shells. Cover the pan and steam the shells until cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. You can discard any that have not opened by then. You must.
• Drain the pasta, toss it with the butter and shells, and serve.