Spaghetti alle vongole

Sort through 500 g clams: discard any with cracked shells or any that stay open after a light tap. Soak the clams in 1 L cold water with 2 tsp salt for 20 minutes, then carefully lift them out by hand, rinse, and leave for 10 minutes in fresh cold water.

Bring 1.5 L water to a boil for the spaghetti, add 1 tsp salt and cook 220 g spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the package instructions, so it stays very al dente. Reserve 150 ml of the pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet with a lid. Add 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 0.5 seeded chili pepper, and cook over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, without letting the garlic brown.

Add the clams and 80 ml dry white wine, cover the skillet and cook over high heat for 2–4 minutes, shaking the pan every 20–30 seconds, until the shells open. Discard any clams that remain closed.

Transfer the opened clams to a bowl, and strain the liquid from the skillet through a fine sieve to catch any sand. Return the clean, strained sauce to the skillet.

Add the spaghetti to the skillet with the sauce and toss for 1–2 minutes over medium heat, adding the reserved 150 ml pasta water a little at a time, until the starch binds the olive oil, wine sauce and water into a light, creamy emulsion.

Return the clams to the pasta, add 20 g finely chopped parsley and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, toss gently and serve immediately.