Traditionally, the bivalves are cooked quickly in hot olive oil to which plenty of garlic has been added. The live clams open during cooking, releasing a liquid that serves as the primary flavoring agent. The clams are then added to the firm pasta spaghetti, linguine, or vermicelli, along with salt, black pepper or red pepper, and a handful of finely chopped parsley. Regional variationseditIn the Liguria region of Italy, east of Genoa, Spaghetti alle vongole veraci means spaghetti with tiny baby clams in the shell, no more than the size of a thumbnail, with a white winegarlic sauce. Linguine also may be used for the pasta in preference to spaghetti. Italian American recipes sometimes use cream in this dish, but, although cream has the virtue of amalgamating butter and cheese in some over the top sauces for fettucine, it is quite alien to the spirit of Italian cooking. In America cheese is sometimes added to this dish, although Italians believe it overpowers the simple flavors of the clams and of good quality olive oil. Linguine alle vongole. See alsoeditReferenceseditGillian Riley, The Oxford Companion to Italian Food Oxford University Press, 2. Palourde, p. 3. 55 and Wedge Shell, pp. See Margaret and G. Franco Romagnoli, The New Italian Cooking Atlantic Monthly Press, 1. Info on Spaghetti alle vongole on Italiantourism. Gillian Riley remarks that, the way cream dumbs down flavor and texture is not appropriate to the subtle flavor and consistency of pasta. See, Gillian Rileys entry on Cream in The Oxford Companion to Italian Food, p. For a discussion about the Italian dislike of putting cheese on pasta dishes with seafood from an American point of view, see Robert Trachtenberg, Just Grate, New York Times Magazine, March 3. Trachtenberg terms the prohibition a mantra. External linksedit. Linguine and Clams Recipe Bobby Flay. For the broth Bring the wine and 1 cup water to a boil in a stockpot over high heat. Add the clams and cook until opened, about 5 minutes. Remove clams with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Discard any clams that do not open. When cool enough to handle, remove the clams from the shell and coarsely chop. Bring the broth back to a boil, add the mussels and cook until the mussels open, discarding any that do not open. These mussels are added just to flavor the stock. After you remove them, eat them or reserve for another use remove from the shell, store in a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Easy High Protein Lunch Ideas. Strain the cooking liquid through a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. You should have 2 cups of liquid. For the breadcrumbs Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer, add the anchovies and cook until melted into the oil. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden brown, and then season with salt and pepper. For the pasta Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine to al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta well. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile flakes, and cook until soft, 1 minute. Add the clam broth and cook until reduced by half. Whisk in the butter, creme fraiche and chopped clams, and cook until thickened. Add the basil, parsley, oregano and zest, and season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and cook, tossing constantly, until the pasta is coated. If the mixture is too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Divide the pasta among the bowls, and top with some of the breadcrumbs. Garnish with parsley leaves.