Spaghetti vongole recipe for when you want to impress, without the fuss

Name: Spaghetti vongole recipe for when you want to impress, without the fuss
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 kg fresh clams in shells; 3 tbsp. olive oil; 200 g cherry tomatoes, quartered; 300 g spaghetti pasta; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped; 25 g parsley, stalks and leaves finely chopped (keep separate); 200 mL dry white wine

This venetian dish is the perfect romantic dinner to impress, half the recipe if making for a special someone.

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 03 August 2023

Recipe by Georgie D'Arcy Coles

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Spaghetti Vongole is a classic pasta dish as is sure to delight! Clams are cooked a tomato and white wine sauce and then tossed with spaghetti.

If you like this recipe, then we have lots of pasta recipes to choose from.

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Yields:

Prep Time:

25 mins

Cook Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

Cal/Serv:

476

Ingredients

1 kg fresh clams in shells
3 Tbsp. olive oil
200 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
300 g spaghetti pasta
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
25 g parsley, stalks and leaves finely chopped (keep separate)
200 ml dry white wine

Directions

1. Step 1Put the clams into a colander and rinse under cold running water. Scrape off any barnacles and discard any that don’t close when tapped firmly on a surface (it’s okay if they open again).
2. Step 2Heat the oil in a large pan (that has a lid) over low heat and cook the tomatoes for 5min, stirring occasionally, until softened.
3. Step 3Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Drain.
4. Step 4Stir the garlic, chillies and parsley stalks into the tomato pan. Fry for 2min, then pour in the wine and bubble for 2min. Stir through the clams, cover with a lid. Cook for 3-4min, shaking the pan occasionally, or until the shells are fully open. Discard any shellfish that remain closed.
5. Step 5Add the pasta and parsley leaves and toss to coat. Check seasoning. Divide between 4 bowls and serve.

GH TIP:

You can use any shellfish you like here; cockles are a cheaper alternative to clams and mussels would also work well.

If you don’t like tomatoes, you can leave them out and the recipe will be just as delicious.

Per serving:

Calories: 476
Protein: 24g
Total fat: 11g
Saturates: 2g
Carbs: 60g
Total sugars: 4g
Fibre: 5g

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The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time