Creamy Clam Vermicelli. Foolproof Neapolitan Recipe.
Spaghetti with clams is a classic of Neapolitan cuisine, very easy and simple to prepare, but some precautions are necessary to achieve authentic Neapolitan spaghetti with clams.
It’s an infallible recipe of mine that is always a great success, because the real secret is to “toss” the vermicelli in the pan (i.e., partially cook them in a pot and finish cooking them in the pan with the clam sauce, using a ladle of pasta cooking water) due to the starch released by the pasta, creating an enveloping cream that makes the clam vermicelli creamy and not disconnected and oily, unmissable!
It’s a quick, simple, and easy first course, the sauce is ready while the pasta cooks.
Neapolitan tradition holds that on December 24th, for the Christmas Eve dinner, a strictly seafood menu is still enjoyed today, with the first course consisting of spaghetti with clams, but obviously – being a seafood first course – it is perfect to enjoy even in summer, it really is a dish that tastes like the sea.
This is the authentic Neapolitan recipe for spaghetti with clams and in this article, I will reveal, step by step, all the tricks and secrets to achieve authentic Neapolitan spaghetti with clams:
– Let’s start with the pasta: it must be of the long type, both spaghetti (NOT thin) and linguine are fine, but I prefer “vermicelli” (long, round-section, semolina pasta larger than spaghetti, which collects the sauce better).
– The clams must be “veraci“, they are larger than lupins (“lupins” is the term most often used for “classic” clams, very different from veraci).
Veraci clams have a typically triangular shape, long and separate double antennae, flavorful and juicy meat, a lower salt content, and therefore a sweeter and more delicate taste, as well as a higher cost than lupins; “tellines” (or sand crabs) cost less, are much smaller than clams and have a smooth shell, unlike clams which have ridges; also, the color of tellines tends towards white.
You can also make half clams and half lupins, the taste of the sea is still guaranteed, but it costs less.
– The clams must be opened in a high-sided pot to avoid drying them out too much;
– You should calculate at least 300 g of clams per person (some even calculate 500 g per person);
– The oil should be delicate extra virgin, so as not to cover the sea flavor of the clams;
– The pasta must cook in salted boiling water, with a drizzle of oil and always over high heat, as it will need to be tossed in the pan with the clam sauce, it must be cooked very al dente and drained at least two minutes before the time indicated on the pasta package.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Campania
- Seasonality: All seasons, Summer
Ingredients for Creamy Clam Vermicelli
- 14 oz vermicelli (or spaghetti or linguine, preferably from Gragnano, I use Di Martino)
- 2.2 lbs veraci clams
- 7 oz tellines (or sand crabs)
- cup extra virgin olive oil (+ 1.4 tbsp, cold pressed, I use Raineri)
- cup dry white wine (optional)
- to taste chili pepper
- to taste pepper
- to taste chopped parsley (abundant)
- to taste salt (little)
- 3 cloves garlic
Tools
- Bowl
- Sieve
- Cutting Board with double side trays for waste
- Mandoline with double sharp blade
- Pot
- Pan Agnelli pasta pan
Steps for Creamy Clam Vermicelli
First, select the clams and tellines by discarding those that are open or with broken and damaged shells.
After selection, rinse them repeatedly under running water until no more sand grains are visible, do not put them to “purge” in water, otherwise, they lose their sea flavor (of course, consult a trusted fishmonger). Meanwhile, place a pot for the pasta on the stove with plenty of water, a drizzle of oil, and coarse salt (be careful, keeping in mind that the clams are already salty).
Take a tall-sided pot, pour in ⅔ cup of extra virgin olive oil, the garlic cloves (some say they should be well browned), parsley stems, ⅙ cup of white wine, chili pepper (optional) and heat, then quickly toss in the clams and tellines, cover with a lid, keep the flame medium-high, and as the clams open (1 or 2 minutes) transfer them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
When they are all opened (discard those still closed or semi-closed because they are not fresh) pour all the filtered cooking liquid over them using a fine mesh strainer (or gauze) to avoid drying them out and set the bowl aside covered, I like to shell almost all of them and keep only a few whole for plating.
Throw the vermicelli (or spaghetti) into salted boiling water. Meanwhile, take a wide pan, pour in 1.4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 1 garlic clove, chili pepper, parsley, and pepper, add the clam sauce (without clams) and heat it all up.
Deglaze with ⅙ cup of white wine. Drain the vermicelli al dente (halfway through cooking) reserving the cooking water.
Add the al dente pasta to the pan with about a ladle of boiling cooking water, add the shelled clams and tellines at the end, and toss until everything becomes creamy, it will take just a few minutes.
Dress the pasta (pictured below: linguine) with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil, plenty of freshly chopped parsley, and pepper (optional).
Garnish with clams in the shell, plenty of chopped parsley, and serve the dish hot.
Shopping Tips!!!
For cutting vegetables, I use this very handy cutting board with two side trays: one to collect the cut foods, the other to collect the waste.
To perfectly “risotto” and toss the pasta, I used this Agnelli pasta pan
You can purchase all the items I recommend above on Amazon, at a great price/quality, just click directly on the respective links.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Origins of spaghetti with clams?
The origins of this dish are uncertain, but according to more accurate historical sources, an ancestor of spaghetti with clams first appears in the book Theoretical-Practical Cooking by Ippolito Cavalcanti, Duke of Buonvicino, first published in 1837. We are talking about “vermicelli with garlic and clams”.
Spaghetti with clams: white or red?
For purists, the real dish of spaghetti with clams should be white, with ingredients only pasta, fresh clams of the highest quality, oil, garlic, chili pepper (little), parsley post-tossing. There are discrepancies about white wine for deglazing, but it seems it was not originally included.
If you really want to “stain” this version, they say it’s better to do it with just a few cherry tomatoes (or pachino) (about 8-10) to slightly crush in the oil to “color” the sauce, while it would be better to avoid tomato sauce which would cancel out the saltiness of the clams and make the dish similar to a spaghetti allo scoglio.What is the difference between vermicelli and spaghetti?
Vermicelli differ from spaghetti by having a larger diameter, which captures the sauce better.
