When I say we made a life-changing meal the other night…I mean it. If you follow us on Instagram, you probably saw our celebratory “Moments Launch” post. We popped some champagne, listened to great music, and of course, made a new recipe – a.k.a. Pasta Vongole!
Stanley Tucci, my favorite actor in The Devil Wears Prada and a highly-regarded chef simultaneously, released his latest cookbook, The Tucci Table, with his wife, Felicity Blunt, during the heat of quarantine. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, I think it goes without saying that you definitely should (but you might have a hard time snagging one since the hardcovers are going for a whopping $105.00 on Amazon). Tucci writes and creates in a way that makes you want to be a part of his life and vision, which is every home cooks dream in a new read – not to mention, his recipes are clearly incredible.
Anyways, to make a long story short, this pasta vongole recipe is inspired by his own take on the idea. We changed a few simple pieces and parts in the grand scheme of things, but the general concept has remained the same. To say that this recipe is do-able no matter your skill level would be an understatement! We were shocked at how impressive the end product was, despite the lack of effort it took to make it.
About the pasta…
The clams are the pièce de résistance in the ingredient list (we prefer littleneck). Light, flavorful, and so delicious, even if you wouldn’t consider yourself to be a seafood fan, this recipe is definitely worth the try. Since our family consisted of five mouths this time around, we needed to double it, but it didn’t change a thing. If you have a bigger group to feed, this is a dinner that will absolutely meet your needs. Nothing was compromised in the slightest.
Again, if you saw the Instagram post, you’d know that we didn’t take final progress photos of the meal. The second it came off the stove, we ate it too fast and loved it too much to care. Plus, we’re spoiled and make our own pasta at home, so the entire meal was a 10/10 from start to finish! If you’re interested in making your own pasta too (can’t recommend it enough), keep an eye out for that future post…coming soon!
For now, enjoy the recipe and let us know how it went for you in the comments! We’d love to hear!
Stanley Tucci’s Pasta Vongole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh littleneck clams
- 1 tbsp cornmeal
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic cut into slivers
- 4 pepperoncini small
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Clean the clams, discarding any broken shells or that won’t close when you tap them. Place them in a large bowl of cold water with the cornmeal for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, and wash away any sand.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti 3-4 minutes if fresh or according to instructions on the package.
- Meanwhile, in a saute’ pan, heat olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and the peperoncini, and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Raise the heat to medium and add the clams., shaking the pan and stirring to coat them in the oil and garlic.
- Add salt and pepper, then parsley and toss to coat the clams again. Put the lid on. Cover the pan and cook, shaking the pan every so often until the clams are open and cooked, about 3 minutes. Discard any that don’t open.
- When the pasta and clams are done, drain the spaghetti, and add to the pan with the clams. Toss.
