Spaghetti alle Vongole al Cartoccio

Join my food & wine tour to Southern Italy & Rome and dine with me at Ristorante da Ciccio!
Spaghetti Vongole al Cartoccio

Spaghetti alle vongole is the classic Italian clam dish. Vongole means ‘clam’ in Italian and I use the small South Australian vongole that are closest to Italy’s vongole veraci, but you can use any clams or other bivalves for this dish, including mussels. I first had spaghetti alle vongole al cartoccio at my favourite Amalfi restaurant, Ristorante da Ciccio, and I never tire of the theatre of opening the parcels (‘cartoccio’ in Italian) at the table to release the delicious aromas. Of course you can cook spaghetti alle vongole without the parcel, just stir the pasta in the sauce for a few minutes until it’s al dente, adding a little more cooking water if necessary to keep it moist, then add the clams and stir for 30 seconds longer to heat through. Whichever way you serve your spaghetti alle vongole, this recipe is a great example of the Italian use of pasta cooking water emulsified with oil to create a creamy sauce, so be sure to undercook the pasta when you boil it so it can finish cooking in the sauce. See the video below to learn everything you need to know to cook pasta to perfection. Serve this recipe as a main course for 4 with a side salad and a starter or dessert. Add a glass or two of vermentino to complete your vicarious Italian holiday. I love the Murnang White di Renzo vermentino from Renzaglia Wines near Bathurst.

Serves 6 as a starter

Ingredients
  • 500g spaghetti (1lb 1oz)
  • ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (160ml)
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 cup dry white wine (250ml)
  • 1kg vongole, purged (2lb 2oz)*
  • Pinch dried chilli flakes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 lemon

* If buying loose vongole rather than vac-packed, place them in a large bowl of cool water that’s had 30g salt/litre (1oz salt/2 pints) dissolved in it and set aside in a cool place for a few hours to purge them of any remaining sand or grit. They can be stored like this for hours, even overnight, but don’t refrigerate them as the cold will cause them to ‘clam up’ and they won’t spit out the sand.

Method
  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
  2. Lay out 6 sheets of baking paper (4 if serving as a main course) about 60cm (2′) long.
  3. Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil using 10g salt/litre of water (⅓oz salt/2 pints water).
  4. Add spaghetti and cook for about 6 minutes (two-thirds of the cooking time on the packet), it should be almost tender but still a little chalky in the centre.
  5. Meanwhile, place oil and garlic in a large frying pan over medium heat and stir for about 2 minutes, until it starts to sizzle.
  6. Increase heat, add wine and vongole, stir and cover.
  7. Cook for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells start to open.
  8. As each shell opens, use tongs to remove it to a bowl.
  9. Once most shells have opened, remove any unopened ones from the pan and pry them open over the sink with a blunt knife, if they smell good, add them to the others, if not, discard them.
  10. Set frying pan aside.
  11. Once spaghetti is ready, return frying pan to medium heat and use tongs to lift spaghetti out of the water into the pan; reserving the cooking water.
  12. Add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water to the pan, add vongole, chilli and parsley and grate the lemon zest over the top.
  13. Increase heat to high and toss for a minute or so to combine well.
  14. Divide pasta, clams and sauce between the waiting baking paper – making a hollow in the pasta to pour in the sauce and piling the clams on top.
  15. Fold the paper into parcels, by making double folds at the top and sides, leaving room for the hot air to expand (see image on print-friendly version).
  16. Place on a baking tray, tucking the folded sides of the parcel under to secure them so that steam and juices can’t escape.
  17. Place in the oven for 4 minutes.
  18. Place each parcel into a shallow bowl and serve immediately.
Download a Print Friendly Version

Share page on:

How To Cook Pasta Perfectly

See more Recipe Videos

What Other Travellers Say

Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus.)
Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus.)
Relaxed, organised and well-paced – a wonderful bespoke small group tour, starting in Rome, then travelling down the Amalfi Coast to stay at a family estate where we were treated like old friends. This tour included some hidden gems too, notably on our way to Matera, a fascinating town built into the side of a mountain. We finished with Naples and Pompeii – with plenty of wine and more new tastes. Roberta is a specialist and very personable as she hosts and explains every detail of the food and wine experience.
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus.)
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus.)
I’ve been on three of Roberta’s food and wine tours so far and each one has been an amazing well-organised experience. From historic Rome and Pompeii to the spectacular Amalfi Coast, remarkable Venice and the charming villages of Switzerland, each tour offers something special. Then there’s the food in fabulous places where you can truly eat like a local. I highly recommend Roberta’s tours to anyone who wants to discover inspired travel through great food, wine and company. I’m already looking forward to the next one!
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus.)
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus.)
Starting in Rome then spending time on the Amalfi Coast and further south before heading back to Rome for the last couple of days made for a nice ‘round trip’. Roberta’s choice of eateries was excellent with some very enjoyable meals – and a nice mix of other activities, like vineyard visits, between meals. Everything was very well organised: transport, nice hotels in close proximity to most activities, and a relaxed pace with enough time to follow your nose if that took your fancy. A very worthwhile tour and I’m already looking forward to another!
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus.)
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus.)
I absolutely recommend Roberta’s Southern Italy tour! We’ve always been independent travellers so were a little apprehensive – by day 2 we knew we’d made a great decision! Roberta knows people and places far from the tourist trail so we visited wineries where we were always invited for lunch as well as wine-tasting, a family lemon grove high on the Amalfi Coast and a 3rd generation cheesemaker. We stayed in a stunning cave hotel in Matera and a gorgeous family hotel in Scala – and book-ended the tour with the vibrancy of Rome. So many highlights, such a brilliant experience. We will do another tour with Roberta.
Neville (St Ives, NSW, Aus.)
Neville (St Ives, NSW, Aus.)
We had an absolutely fantastic time in Southern Italy and Rome with Roberta. Incredible food and wine experiences combined with authentic cultural encounters, fascinating history and breathtaking scenery. From the charming streets of Trastevere and the stunning Amalfi Coast to Matera, Pompeii and the hidden gems of Basilicata, every day brought something memorable. Meeting local winemakers, farmers, chefs and families who welcomed us with genuine warmth made this trip exceptional. Roberta's passion for Italy, attention to detail, warmth, knowledge and care for every guest made the experience unforgettable. We will gladly travel with Roberta again.
Subscribe To My Newsletter & Get A Free Online Italian Cooking Class (RRP $39)