Vongole Food

SPAGHETTI VONGOLE

Steps:

• Put a pan of water on to boil. While that's happening, sort through your cleaned clams and if there are any that aren't tightly closed, give them a sharp tap. If they don't close, throw them away. Put a large pan with a lid on a high heat and let it heat up. Finely slice the parsley stalks, then put them to one side and roughly chop the leaves. Peel and chop the garlic, quarter the tomatoes and get your wine ready.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water with a good pinch of salt and cook according to packet instructions until al dente. About 5 minutes before your pasta is ready, get ready to start cooking - you'll have to be quick about this, so no mucking about! Put 4 generous lugs of extra virgin olive oil into the hot pan and add the garlic, parsley stalks and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Crumble in the dried chilli and add the chopped tomatoes. Stir everything around constantly and just as the garlic starts to colour, tip in the clams and pour in the wine. It will splutter and steam, so give everything a good shake and put the lid on the pan. After about 3 or 4 minutes the clams will start to open, so keep shuffling the pan around until all of them have opened. Take the pan off the heat. Get rid of any clams that haven't opened.
• By now your pasta should be just about perfect. Drain and add to the pan of clams along with the parsley leaves and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Stir or toss for a further minute or two to let the beautiful seashore juices from the clams be absorbed into the pasta. Serve right away. No sane Italian would eat this dish without some fresh hunks of bread to mop up the juices. Beautiful!
• PS The first time you make this it will be good, but you might find things don't come together exactly at the right time. But don't worry, this dish is all about confidence and the more you make this, the more you'll find the pasta and clams are ready and perfect at the same time. And then it will be great!

PASTA ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and saute until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown. Add the white wine and clams, increase the heat to high and cover the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the clams have opened, about 8 minutes. As the clams open, transfer them to a large bowl. When all of the clams are removed, reduce the heat to medium low, add the oregano and swirl in the butter. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine according to the package direction. Using tongs, transfer the linguine to the saute pan with the clam juice and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and add the clams and any juices that have collected in the bowl. Using tongs, turn the linguine to coat it with the sauce. Top with parsley. Serve immediately.

MARTHA'S SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• Roasted-Garlic Butter: Mash together butter, garlic confit, and lemon zest. Season with salt. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months. (Makes 1/2 cup.)
• Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until slightly less than al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat garlic with oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high until just golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, transferring each slice to a plate when browned. Add pepper flakes and tomatoes to skillet; cook until tomatoes soften a bit, about 3 minutes.
• Add wine and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add clam juice and return to a boil. Add clams, cover, and cook 20 seconds. Uncover and cook, removing clams to a large bowl as they open, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard unopened clams.
• Add pasta, parsley, 1/2 cup pasta water, and 3 tablespoons garlic butter to skillet (reserve remaining garlic butter for another use). Cook, stirring, until pasta is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir, adding more pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce. Pour over clams; toss to combine. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with garlic slices and more cheese and parsley; serve.

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• Put the water for the spaghetti on to boil. Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water. Discard any that are open or damaged. Cover the tomatoes with boiling water, leave for 1 min, then drain and slip off the skins, Remove the seeds and chop the flesh.
• Cook spaghetti according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the garlic and chilli, then fry gently for a few seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, then add the clams and a splash of wine, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 mins, until the clams are open. Drain the pasta, then tip into the pan with the parsley and toss together. Serve in bowls with bread for mopping up the juices.

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5 quart pot. Season lightly with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, swirling pan often, until just golden. Add red pepper flakes and continue cooking 15 more seconds. Add wine, then clams; increase heat to high. Cover skillet and cook until clams open and release their juices, 3-6 minutes, depending on size of clams. As clams open, use tongs to transfer them to a bowl.
• Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to skillet; bring to a boil. Add pasta to pan. Cook over high heat, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the sauce from the pan. Add clams and any juices from bowl to pan, along with parsley, and toss to combine. (Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Transfer pasta to warm bowls and drizzle with remaining oil.

LINGUINE CON LE VONGOLE

Steps:

• Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the linguine will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente.") Drain the pasta well.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium flame in a deep saute pan with a lid. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; saute for 2 minutes. Add the clams, wine, and lemon juice. Cover and cook, shaking the pan periodically, until all the clams are opened, about 7 minutes. Discard any that have not opened.
• Crank the flame up to medium-high heat. Add the hot, drained linguine to the pan; add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Toss the pasta with the clams to it's nicely coated. Shower with chopped parsley and toasted bread crumbs. Drizzle with a nice dose of olive oil before serving.

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the garlic and chile pepper in the olive oil until the garlic is golden brown, about 1 minute.
• Add the clams, clam juice and wine. Cover and simmer over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally until all the clams open.
• While the clams are simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente.
• Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the clam sauce and parsley and toss well. Serve immediately.

LINGUINE ALLA VONGOLE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in saucepan and simmer on low for about 2 minutes. Add butter. When butter is melted, add garlic and let simmer for another 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly, but do not allow to boil, because clams will get tough. Serve over hot linguine with freshly ground black pepper. I also like a little grated parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!

SPAGHETTI VONGOLE

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat cook the garlic cloves in olive oil until golden, about 1 minute. Add the chili-pepper flakes, clams and wine. Cover the pot and steam until the clams open, about 5 to 7 minutes. Strain, reserve the broth and set the clams aside to cool.
• Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water until tender. While it is cooking, take the clams from the shells. Discard the shells. Put the reserved clam broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it is boiling, add the lemon juice, the parsley and the reserved clams. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the spaghetti, toss and serve.

FETTUCCINE ALLE VONGOLE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and butter. When butter turns brown, add onion, red pepper and garlic; cook until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine and 1 tablespoons parsley; reduce liquid a little. Pour in cream and sherry; bring to a simmer.
• Stir in basil, red pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper; cook for 2 minutes. Add clams and heat through (do NOT overcook or they will become tough & chewy), about 2 minutes. Stir in cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Add pasta mixture and toss. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and remaining parsley; serve.

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE (SPAGHETTI WITH CLAMS)

Steps:

• Saute garlic and pepper in the oil. Add the tomatoes and cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium flame. Add clams, cover and cook 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Clams are cooked when they are opened.
• Serve over spaghetti or your choice of pasta cooked al dente. Don't eat any of the clams that do not open.

CHICKEN VONGOLE

Steps:

• In food processor mix all stuffing ingredients.
• Process until smooth.
• Add 1 T reserved clam juice.
• Process again 15seconds.
• Taste and season more if necessary.
• Take 1 chicken fillet and put about 2T of filling on fillet.
• Roll chicken and secure with wooden toothpick or skewer.
• Repeat with other chicken breasts.
• Sprinkle outside of chicken with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning.
• Spray baking pan.
• Place chicken in oven set at 400°F and cook until juices run clear.
• While chicken is baking, prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients over medium heat constantly stirring. Will be a runny sauce, but add a tablespoon of flour or more cornstarch for a thicker sauce. Taste and season more if necessary.
• Serve stuffed chicken with sauce on top.

VONGOLE MEDITERRANIO (BAKED CLAMS & RICE WITH SAFFRON)

Steps:

• Place clams in a pot with wine and garlic, cover and steam the clams for 5 - 6 minutes (until they open).
• Please, discard any clams that do not open -- they are bad.
• Drain the pot, reserving the liquid and remove the clam meat from the shells. Leave some clams in the shell for garnishing.
• Set the clams aside.
• Strain the clam liquid in a sieve that has been lined with cheese cloth, linen or a muslin cloth and reserve the clam liquid.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Saute the onion in butter in an ovenproof casserole for 2 - 3 minutes.
• Add the rice and saffron to the casserole dish and gently stir to coat with butter.
• Next add the chicken stock and clam liquid to the dish and bring to a boil. Stir the rice once, reduce the heat and cover the dish.
• Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the casserole dish from the oven and uncover, add the clams and butter to the dish, gently mixing together.
• Re-cover the casserole dish , return to oven and bake for 7 minutes more.
• Remove dish from oven, uncover, sprinkle with the scallions, garnish with the reserved clams in shell and serve immediately.
• A wonderful light meal, served with fruit salad.