SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE
The perfect dish to serve family-style in the centre of the table with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the juices. Dish created by Chris Rendell at NSP. NSP is a Parnell institution which has offered an extensive range of delicious Italian fare for 23 years.
Ingredients
75g butter
Speroni extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1kg Cloudy Bay Diamond Shell clams
½ bunch flat leaf parsley, picked & chopped
250ml dry white wine
450g La Molisana dry spaghetti
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
Method
Place the clams in a colander and rinse for 10 mins under running water to remove any grit. Check that all clams are closed, and discard those that are open
Place half of the butter in a wide saucepan with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the chopped chilli and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and allow it to cook for a few minutes
Once the chilli and garlic are aromatic, add the clams and parsley, stir over the heat. Add the wine and cover the pan with a lid, allow to cook for 5 mins, until the clams start to open. Give the pan a shake from time to time
While the clams are cooking, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water. Once the clams are open, mix them with the drained spaghetti and toss with the remaining butter