This Clam Spaghetti with White Wine is made with manila clams, butter, red pepper flakes, garlic, white wine, lemons, and parsley.
This dish is an Italian classic which is super light and full of flavor. I love to eat this in the summertime with a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc. This dish, as well as most Italian seafood dishes, is from the Neapolitan cuisine. The common clams to use for this dish are called “vongole verace” which aren’t readily available in the United States, but I opted in using littleneck or manila clams which work just as well.
If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Clams in White Wine Sauce and my Mussels in White Wine Sauce.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Spaghetti
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Red pepper flakes
- Garlic
- White wine
- Manila clams
- Lemon juice
- Parsley
See recipe card for quantities for Clam Spaghetti with White Wine.
Instructions
Start by scrubbing the clams and throwing out any clams that could be open or broken.
In a large lidded skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter on the pan and wait for it to shimmer. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, until garlic begins to brown, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the white wine and increase the heat to high until it starts boiling. Add the clams. Cover the skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the clams open and release their juices. Remove the clams as they open and discard any that don’t open after 10 minutes.
Squeeze in lemon juice and stir. Garnish with parsley.
Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Combine pasta with the clams and enjoy.
Substitutions
Clams: I prefer using the smaller Manila clams vs the Littleneck Clams. For best quality clams, go to your local fish market. You can use previously frozen clams, although for best taste, use fresh clams.
Garlic: For best results, use fresh garlic. I love to double the garlic quantity int he recipe, but I keep it low because I know some people don't like too much garlic.
Red pepper flakes: The red pepper flakes are totally optional, but for those who need a spicy kick, it complements the dish perfectly.
Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for a good quality meal.
Wine: I would use any dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. If you prefer not to add wine, feel free to use any style broth instead.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
- Deluxe - Serve with white wine on the side
- Kid friendly - if your kids do not like clams, feel free to omit and just add a ton of parmesan on the clamless pasta (now the adults can keep all the clams!).
Check out this Linguini Frutti di Mare.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
The Clam Spaghetti with White Wine ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Use broth if you do not want to use white wine. Use pasta water to thicken the sauce.
Clam Spaghetti with White Wine
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Clam Spaghetti with White Wine is made with manila clams, butter, red pepper flakes, garlic, white wine, lemons, and parsley.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon of minced garlic
- ¼ cup of dry white wine
- 2 pounds of manila or littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅓ cup of parsley leaves
Instructions
- Start by scrubbing the clams and throwing out any clams that could be open or broken.
- In a large lidded skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter on the pan and wait for it to shimmer. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, until garlic begins to brown, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the white wine and increase the heat to high until it starts boiling. Add the clams. Cover the skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the clams open and release their juices. Remove the clams as they open and discard any that don’t open after 10 minutes. Squeeze in lemon juice and stir. Garnish with parsley.
- Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Combine pasta with the clams and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 477.9
- Sugar: 2.9 g
- Sodium: 329.0 mg
- Fat: 10.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.5 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 46.4 g
- Cholesterol: 107.0 mg
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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