Spaghetti alle Vongole
Spaghetti tossed with clams, garlic, white wine and parsley. · Italy
Spaghetti tossed with clams, garlic, white wine and parsley.
About Spaghetti alle Vongole
Fresh clams are opened in a pan of garlic, olive oil and white wine, then tossed with spaghetti and parsley so the briny juices coat every strand. It is the taste of the Neapolitan and Roman coast.
🏛️ History & Culture
Spaghetti alle vongole is widely considered a classic of Neapolitan coastal cooking, though its exact origins are debated—some trace it to the fishing communities of the Gulf of Naples, while others point to similar pasta-and-clam dishes across southern Italy. The dish rose to national prominence in the 20th century, becoming a symbol of simple, fresh Mediterranean cuisine and a staple of Roman trattorias as well.
Regional variations center on the clams (vongole) and the sauce: the white version with garlic, olive oil, and white wine is the most iconic, but a red version with tomato (often cherry tomatoes) is also common south of Naples. In Campania, cooks favor the small, sweet clams known as vongole veraci, while other regions substitute local varieties. Culturally, it embodies the Italian ethos of letting few, high-quality ingredients shine, and it remains a beloved summer dish along the entire Tyrrhenian coast.
🍳 How to make Spaghetti alle Vongole
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedSpaghetti alle Vongole
A classic Neapolitan pasta in which fresh clams are opened in a fragrant emulsion of olive oil, garlic and dry white wine, then tossed with spaghetti so the briny juices cling to every strand.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Recipe ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) spaghetti
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh clams (vongole veraci or lupino), small Mediterranean clams; must be alive when cooking begins
- 120 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, good quality, plus extra to finish
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently crushed
- 1 small red chili pepper, peperoncino, optional but traditional in Naples
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine, Italian whites like Falanghina, Greco, or Soave work well
- 1 large handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, stems reserved
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, for the pasta water; clams are salty, so taste before adding more
- 0 black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Steps
- 1 Discard any clams that are cracked or that stay open when tapped; place the rest in a bowl, cover with cold salted water (about 35 g salt per litre) and let them purge for 1–2 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- 2 Bring 3 litres of water to a rolling boil, add the sea salt, and cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute less than the package time). Reserve 250 ml of the pasta water before draining.
- 3 While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, peperoncino (if using) and the reserved parsley stems; cook gently for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and the garlic is pale gold — do not brown it.
- 4 Raise the heat to high, add the clams and the white wine. Cover and cook for 2–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until all the clams have opened. Discard any that remain closed.
- 5 Lift the clams out of the pan with tongs (leaving the cooking liquid behind) and pull the meat from the shells of about one third of them; leave the rest in their shells for presentation. Strain the pan liquid through a fine sieve to catch any grit.
- 6 Add the drained spaghetti to the pan with the strained clam liquid and toss over medium heat for about 1 minute, splashing in reserved pasta water as needed, until the pasta is coated in a glossy, emulsified sauce and just tender.
- 7 Return the clam meat (both shelled and in-shell) and most of the chopped parsley to the pan, toss once more, and remove from the heat. Season with black pepper; taste before adding any extra salt.
- 8 Serve immediately in warmed bowls, drizzled with a little raw olive oil and sprinkled with the remaining parsley.
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Spaghetti alle Vongole — frequently asked questions
What is Spaghetti alle Vongole?
Fresh clams are opened in a pan of garlic, olive oil and white wine, then tossed with spaghetti and parsley so the briny juices coat every strand. It is the taste of the Neapolitan and Roman coast.
What is Spaghetti alle Vongole made of?
Spaghetti alle Vongole is made with spaghetti, clams, garlic, white wine and parsley.
Where does Spaghetti alle Vongole come from?
Spaghetti alle Vongole comes from Italy, and is especially associated with Naples. Spaghetti alle vongole is widely considered a classic of Neapolitan coastal cooking, though its exact origins are debated—some trace it to the fishing communities of the Gulf of Naples, while others point to similar pasta-and-clam dishes across southern Italy.
Where can I eat Spaghetti alle Vongole?
A coastal Italian trattoria, the clams served in the shell.
How do you make Spaghetti alle Vongole?
Making Spaghetti alle Vongole at home takes about 15 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe on this page serves 4 and is rated easy. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.
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