Spaghetti with clams

When I was working as a lifeguard, Rina and I would regularly go to a small seaside restaurant where the spaghetti alle vongole was so delicious, we still talk about it to this day. I love to cook this dish – it’s the taste of the sea in a bowl. Massimo

QServes 4-6 1kg clams 3 tbsp plain flour 500g spaghetti 3 tbsp butter 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 2 garlic cloves ½ onion, finely chopped 75ml dry white wine 30g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

½ lemon, juiced

1 Put the clams in a large glass bowl, cover with cold water and stir in a handful of salt. Add 1 tbsp flour (this acts as a cleaning agent and helps remove any grit) and stir. Set aside for 1 hr.

2 Transfer the clams to a plate using a slotted spoon and discard the water along with any sand at the bottom. Rinse the bowl and repeat the soaking process until the clams no longer release any sand (this should take about three times). Discard any clams that are wide open and don’t close when tapped. Drain and set aside.

3 Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil (the clams are already salty, so you won’t need much). Add the spaghetti and cook following pack instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving half a mugful of the cooking water. Set aside.

4 Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil together in a very large pan. Fry the garlic, stirring often, until pale and golden. Remove and discard the garlic, leaving behind the flavoured butter mixture.

5 Fry the onion in the mixture for a few minutes until softened. Pour in the wine, add the clams and increase the heat to high. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the clams open and release their juices, about 3-6 mins, depending on the size of the clams.

6 Pour ¼ of the reserved cooking water into the pan and bring to the boil. Add the cooked spaghetti and stir. Cook over a high heat for 2 mins, stirring constantly, until some of the juices have been soaked up. Sprinkle in the parsley, drizzle with oil and stir again. If the sauce seems dry, add more of the reserved water, and cook for 1-2 mins more. Serve in deep bowls with the lemon juice drizzled over.