Spaghetti with Razor Clams

Method

1. Soak the razor clams in cold salted water for at least 3 hours (20g salt per litre of water).
2. Open each clam carefully, remove the head (the dark part at the tip), and extract the edible meat. Discard the black intestinal sac. Rinse the meat and reserve the heads (noble scraps).
3. Rinse both the clam meat and the heads thoroughly under cold running water.
4. In a pan, lightly crush a garlic clove with its skin, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, chili pepper to taste, and the parsley stems. Sauté until fragrant.
5. Add the noble scraps (heads) and cook for a few minutes. Deglaze with dry white wine and cook for 2–3 minutes over high heat.
6. Strain the liquid through a very fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids. Discard the solids and let the strained broth settle; any sand will deposit on the bottom. Reserve the clear broth.
7. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente.
8. Meanwhile, crush the second garlic clove, remove the skin and the central germ, then finely chop. In a clean pan, sauté the chopped garlic, a drizzle of oil, chili pepper, and some chopped parsley leaves.
9. Add the halved or quartered cherry tomatoes, season with pepper and a pinch of salt, and cook over high heat until softened.
10. Carefully pour the reserved clam broth into the tomato pan, avoiding any settled sand at the bottom. Stir.
11. When the pasta is almost done, drain it and transfer to the pan with the tomato sauce. Sauté over moderate heat, adding a little pasta water if needed.
12. About 2 minutes before the pasta is fully cooked, add the clam meat. Cook, stirring, until the clams are heated through and the pasta is al dente.
13. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from heat, stir in fresh chopped parsley.
14. Serve immediately, finishing with a pinch of freshly grated lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.