Recipe: spaghetti alle vongole
One of the reasons we love Italian cuisine so much is the simplicity of the dishes, with which such irresistible results are achieved. Spaghetti alle vongole (pronounced wóngolee) is one such dish. An absolute holiday favourite when you’re in Italy, but also very easy to make at home.
Preparation:
1. Brush the shells clean and discard any broken ones or shells that do not close properly. Then place them in a bowl of cold water for half an hour to remove sand and dirt.
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil for the spaghetti. Once the water is boiling, add salt to the boiling water and add the spaghetti as well. Cook al dente, until firm to the bite.
3. Drain the shells.
4. Peel the garlic and cut the cloves into thin slices.
5. In another large pan, sauté the garlic in the olive oil. Be careful: the garlic must not change colour, as this will make it bitter.
6. Finely chop the parsley as well.
7. Then add the parsley and shells to the garlic. Turn the heat up high and add a pinch of salt and the glass of wine. Cover everything and cook for 1 minute.
8. Turn the heat down and let everything simmer with the lid on until all the shells have opened. Add the pasta and cook for another 1 minute.
9. Grind a little black pepper over it and stir in some more olive oil. Toss everything together and serve in (warmed) deep plates.
10. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the dish as a finishing touch. And if there are no Italians nearby: feel free to sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over it.
Wine tip
With a quintessentially Italian dish, you naturally drink a quintessentially Italian wine. We’re going for a Pinot Grigio, the wine that makes the sun shine. The fresh and super-juicy Tussock Jumper Pinot Grigio instantly puts us in a good mood. A tavola!
