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Italian

Spaghetti alle vongole

Non-vegetarian

Spaghetti tossed with fresh clams steamed open in white wine, garlic and olive oil, so the briny clam juices become the sauce. A Neapolitan seaside classic.

Spaghetti alle vongole is an Italian pasta dish from Italy, ready in about 1 hour and made with clams and dried pasta. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
A gourmet plate of spaghetti alle vongole, showcasing fresh clams in a garlic sauce.
Photo: Marc K / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Rest
30 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
496

Ingredients

4 servings

For the cooking water

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Soak the clams (opens in a new tab) in cold salted water for 30 minutes so they spit out sand, then lift them out and rinse. Discard any with cracked shells or that stay open when tapped.

    • 30 min

    Food safety: Only cook live clams: shells should be closed or close when tapped.

  2. Step 2

    Put the spaghetti (opens in a new tab) on to cook in salted boiling water; it should be about two minutes short of al dente when the clams (opens in a new tab) are ready.

    Pasta boiling in a pot of water
    How it looks · Photo: Gianpiero Ferraro on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    In a large pan with a lid, warm the oil with the garlic (opens in a new tab) (and chilli) over medium heat until fragrant. Add the clams (opens in a new tab) and wine, cover and cook over high heat, shaking the pan, until the shells open.

    Food safety: Discard any clams that do not open after cooking.

  4. Step 4

    Add the drained pasta (opens in a new tab) to the clams (opens in a new tab) and their juices with half the parsley (opens in a new tab). Toss over high heat for 2 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has reduced and clings.

    • 2 min
    • high heat
    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Scatter with the remaining parsley (opens in a new tab) and a thread of raw olive oil (opens in a new tab), and serve at once.

      Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
      How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Campania, Italy · Commonly attributedMore food from Italy
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Pasta · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Boiled, Steamed
    Taste
    savoury, garlicky, fresh, salty
    Diet
    Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
    All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Pork-free · Beef-free · Calorie-conscious
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Cook more with
    Clams · Dried pasta · Garlic · Dry white wine · Parsley
    Techniques
    Boiling · Steaming · Reduction

    Allergens

    • May contain: Eggsfrom dried pasta
    • Contains: Molluscsfrom clams
    • Contains: Wheatfrom dried pasta
    • Contains: Glutenfrom dried pasta
    • Contains, can be adapted: Sulphitesfrom dry white wine

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    496 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 188 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 17%
    • Carbohydrate 54%
    • Fat 29%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy496 kcal263 kcal
    Protein19.9 g10.6 g
    Carbohydrate63.8 g33.9 g
    Net carbohydrate61.1 g32.5 g
    Sugars2.4 g1.3 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre2.7 g1.5 g
    Fat15.3 g8.1 g
    Saturated fat2.2 g1.2 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol19 mg10 mg
    Sodium675 mg359 mg
    Salt equivalent1.7 g0.9 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    257 mg
    Calcium
    54 mg
    Iron
    4.1 mg
    Magnesium
    59 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    72 µg
    Vitamin C
    6 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    7.1 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    322 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: red chilli flakes.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Clam juices are salty — taste before adding any extra salt.
    • Remove some meat from the shells if you prefer less fiddly eating.

    Common mistakes

    • Overcooking the clams, which turns them rubbery.
    • Adding cheese — Italians generally don't with seafood pasta.

    Storage

    • Best eaten immediately.

    Variations

    • Vongole in rosso: A handful of halved cherry tomatoes is added with the clams for a lightly red version.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    • Clams, in shells, scrubbed and purged1000 g
    • Dried pasta, spaghetti or linguine320 g
    Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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