"Using butter is an unusual choice for cooking clams; most recipes call for olive oil," says Rogers. "This recipe comes from a restaurant on the beach near Fiumicino, and the butter makes the sauce deliciously thick, coating the pasta."
Spaghetti with clams and butter
The spaghetti alle vongole con burro from London's River Café doesn't skimp on indulgence.
- 15 mins preparation
- 10 mins cooking
- Serves 6
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Ingredients
- 400 gm dried spaghetti
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 dried red chilli, crushed
- 75 gm softened butter
- 1 kg small clams
- ¾ cup (loosely packed) parsley, coarsely chopped
- 250 ml dry white wine, such as vermentino
Method
Main
- 1Cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (8-10 minutes).
- 2Meanwhile, combine oil, garlic, chilli and half the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat, season to taste and fry until fragrant (30-40 seconds). Add clams and parsley and toss to combine. Add wine, cover with a lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until clams open (4-6 minutes).
- 3Drain spaghetti, reserving a small amount of pasta water. Add spaghetti and remaining butter to clams and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water if necessary to loosen sauce. Serve hot.
