Spaghetti Alle Vongole

Method

1. Purge the clams: dissolve 35 g of coarse salt in 1 liter of water. Add the clams and let them soak for 2–3 hours or overnight. For faster purging, use sparkling water and ice. Discard any clams that are broken or remain open.
2. Drain the clams gently, careful not to disturb the sand at the bottom.
3. In a large pan, add olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, a whole chili (broken to release seeds), and crushed parsley stems. Start with the pan cold.
4. Turn the heat to high. When the oil is hot, add the clams and a splash of water (instead of white wine). Cover and cook, removing each clam as soon as it opens. Discard any that do not open.
5. Filter the clam cooking liquid through a fine sieve, a cotton cloth, or thick paper towels to remove any sand.
6. In a separate pot, cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water (8g salt per liter) for 3–4 minutes less than the package time.
7. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the filtered clam liquid. Add a little of the pasta cooking water if needed.
8. Cook the pasta in the clam liquid over medium heat, stirring often, until al dente. If the sauce needs thickening, dissolve a small amount of kuzu (kudzu starch) in warm water and stir it in.
9. Meanwhile, remove the cooked clams from their shells (optional: leave some in shells for garnish). Check for any remaining sand.
10. When the pasta is ready, add the shelled clams back to the pan and toss to combine.
11. Finish with a drizzle of raw parsley oil and a few drops of kumquat sauce (made from kumquat, syrup, olive oil, and salt). Serve immediately.