Spaghetti Con Vongole

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 Packet Spaghetti cooked

50 ml extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves fresh garlic thinly sliced

4 eshallots sliced

500 g fresh Vongole (Clams)

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 fish stock

50 g Grana Padano Parmesan grated

1 whole fresh birds-eye chili chopped (with seeds)

1/4 bunch fresh continental parsley chopped

salt

pepper

Method

1. Soak the fresh vongole in slightly salted cold water for 30 minutes to allow the clams to purge any sand then rinse
2.  Heat the oil over a high heat in a heavy base large frying pan
3. Working quickly add the garlic and eshallots and allow to brown slightly but don't let the garlic burn and turn bitter
4. Add the fresh washed vongole and stir
5. Add the chili, wine, fish stock and pepper
6. cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on high for 2-3 minutes
7. Once all the clams are open stir through the spaghetti, Parmesan and parsley 
8. Add a little more stock at this point if all of the liquid has reduced and there is no sauce
9. Taste for seasoning and add more pepper or salt now if needed (usually the clams and Parmesan add enough salt)
10. Serve with fresh crusty bread for soaking up the juice and a rocket, fresh pear and parmesan salad.

NOTES: 

• I like to thinly slice the garlic in this dish because it allows the garlic to brown without spitting juice at you during the high temperature cooking
• It is important to use a high heat and work fast so make sure all ingredients are prepared and at hand before you get to step 2
• If you can find canned vongole meat use these to bulk out the amount of clam meat if cooking this dish for many people.