Pasta con Vongole (Red or White)
My family often comes to me seeking a last-minute homemade meal. I always keep dried pasta and cans of clams in the pantry knowing I can whip up a simple and delicious clam pasta in just minutes. The beauty of this dish is its options. Clams can be minced, chopped, or kept whole; canned or fresh; or a combination. The sauce can be white or red to accommodate your mood for either white or red Pellegrini estate wines. I like adding fresh clam cockles in the bordelaise style on top of the pasta as a lovely garnish and an additional treat. – Janet Pellegrini
1 large yellow onion, chopped
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cans (6 ounces) minced, chopped, or whole clams, liquid reserved
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped Roma tomatoes / or 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in thick puree (only include this if you want to make your sauce red)
4 dozen small-sized fresh clams
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Sauté the onions until transparent, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, and bring to a simmer for about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta (preferably linguine) according to the package’s directions and until done. Drain and toss with sauce. Add grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
To dress up the dish, add fresh clam cockles on top. Heat ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 cloves of chopped garlic and 3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley in a large pot; add the cockles. Stir and cook with a tight lid until the cockles open (about 5 minutes). Add the cockles to the clam sauce, and pour over the dish of prepared pasta.
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