35 Spaghetti alle Vongole

Of all the seafood dishes of Italy this simple spaghetti with clams is perhaps the most famous and simple. To get this right you need ultra-fresh clams. The recipe works in a similar way to moules mariniere in that the clams are cooked over high heat with a lid on the pan to build up the steam.

The clams will cook and open quickly and the flavour of the dish is a combination of their juices and a garlicky mixture of reduced white wine and olive oil. Just a sprinkling of parsley fini