Spaghetti con Vongole

This is a classic dish of spaghetti dressed with clams steamed in white wine and seasoned with garlic and red pepper flakes.

Traditionally this dish is made with small clams (about the size of an adult fingernail), served in the shell. Any variety of small clam, such as New Zealand cockles or Manila clams, will work; the latter are particularly nice because they are plump.

The best method for cleaning clams is to soak them in cold salted (sealike) water for up to an hour so