Authentic Spaghetti alle Vongole

This traditional Neapolitan dish is quick and easy to prepare even for a beginner cook. The main ingredients are clams, either carpet-shell clams or bean clams, and spaghetti, although linguine or vermicelli pasta can be used instead. The original bianco version is made without tomatoes, while the version prepared in rosso includes tomatoes, either tomato sauce or whole tomatoes. Parsley and garlic are also a must, while the additional ingredients such as peperonciono, pepper, and white wine are all a matter of the personal preference of the chef. Of all the wonderful seafood pasta recipes there are here in Italy, pasta alle vongole is probably the top of the best seller list. Not surprising given how delicious this iconic Neapolitan dish is! This linguine pasta alle vongole is my Sicilian hubby’s recipe. He’s pretty generous with the garlic and peperoncino but it’s just the way I like it! Sometimes when I'm eating a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce, I think to myself, Man, what I really want is to have a bunch of little rocks scattered throughout these noodles. I mean, who doesn't think that? I can't even begin to describe the relief I feel when I finally have a plate of shell-strewn spaghetti alle vongole in front of me and I can futilely tap the tines of my fork against all those stone-like bivalves as I try to disentangle the last strands of pasta from them.