Spaghetti alle vongole

(Italian for spaghetti with clams) Very popular throughout Italy, especially its central regions, including Rome and further south in Campagna (where it is part of traditional Neapolitan cuisine).

Italians prepare this dish two ways: in bianco, i.e., with oil, garlic, parsley, and sometimes a splash of white wine; and in rosso, like the former but with tomatoes and fresh basil, the addition of tomatoes being more frequent in the south.

Traditionally, the bivalves are cooked quickly in hot olive oil to which plenty of garlic has been added. The live clams open during cooking, releasing a liquid that serves as the primary flavoring agent. The clams are then added to the firm pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or vermicelli), along with salt, black pepper (or red pepper), and a handful of finely chopped Italian parsley.

Italian-American recipes sometimes use cream in this dish, but, although cream has the virtue of amalgamating butter and cheese in some over-the-top sauces for fettucine, it is quite alien to the spirit of Italian cooking.

Cheese is never added to this dish, which forefronts the simple flavors of the clams and of good quality olive oil.