Spaghetti with Clams

Method

1. Rinse the clams under cold water, then soak them in a bowl of cold water with a spoonful of salt for about one hour to purge sand.
2. In a large pan, heat extra virgin olive oil and sauté a clove of garlic (smashed in its skin), a generous pinch of chili pepper, and a handful of chopped parsley.
3. After one hour, drain the clams, discarding the soaking water, and add them to the pan. Cook until they open.
4. Add a splash of white wine and let it evaporate. Season with a pinch of black pepper.
5. Remove the clams from the heat, shell them, and set the meat aside. Reserve the clams' cooking liquid.
6. Filter the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. (Optionally, boil the empty shells in water to make a secondary broth.)
7. In another pan, add the filtered clam broth and bring to a simmer. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring frequently, risotto-style, adding more broth (including optional shell broth) as needed until the pasta is al dente and creamy.
8. At the end of cooking, add the shelled clams back into the pan and toss with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and fresh parsley.
9. Serve immediately.