Spaghetti alle Vongole

Method

1. Crush a clove of garlic, remove the outer skin and the germ, then chop it finely.
2. Finely chop fresh chili pepper (to taste).
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes: leave some whole (datterini) and dice the rest into small pieces.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
5. In a wide pan, heat a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil over high heat. Add the garlic, chili, and tomatoes and sauté until the garlic is golden and the tomatoes begin to soften.
6. Add a pinch of fresh parsley, a little black pepper, and a tiny amount of salt.
7. Add the whole clams (purged) to the pan, then pour in a glass of dry white wine. Cover and cook on high heat until the clams open.
8. When the water boils, add salt and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
9. Once the clams are open, remove the pan from heat. Pick out a few clams with shells for decoration, then shell the remaining clams (reserve the shelled ones). Keep the clam broth in the pan.
10. Taste the clam broth and adjust salt if necessary (usually it's perfect if the clams were purged correctly). If needed, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve.
11. When the pasta is al dente, transfer it directly to the pan with the clam broth. Finish cooking the pasta in the broth over medium heat, adding some pasta water if it becomes too dry.
12. Add the shelled clams and the reserved clams in their shells. Stir well, cover, and cook for about 30 seconds more.
13. Turn off the heat to prevent the clams from overcooking.
14. Drizzle with raw extra-virgin olive oil, add freshly chopped parsley (leaves only), and a pinch of black pepper. Toss to combine.
15. Plate the spaghetti and finish with a grating of fresh lemon zest on top.