Spaghetti alle Vongole

Steps

1. 1
   Soak the clams in a bowl of cold, well-salted water for 30 minutes so they spit out their sand, then lift them out, rinse, and discard any with cracked shells or that stay open when tapped.
2. 2
   Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet time — it finishes cooking in the clam juices — and reserve a cupful of the water.
3. 3
   Meanwhile warm 4 tbsp of the oil with the garlic and chilli in a large frying pan with a lid over medium heat, until the garlic just turns pale gold.
4. 4
   Add the clams and wine, cover tightly and cook over high heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until the shells open. Discard any that stay shut.
5. 5
   Tip the drained spaghetti into the pan with half the parsley and a splash of pasta water and toss hard over high heat for 1–2 minutes, until the juices turn into a thin, cloudy sauce that coats the pasta.
6. 6
   Take off the heat, drizzle with the remaining oil, scatter with the rest of the parsley and serve at once — no cheese, as is the rule for seafood pasta in Italy.