Pisan Spaghetti with Clams

A childhood dream (no doubt of many) was to visit the leaning tower in Pisa. We didn't know at the time that the tower was leaning because of its nearness to the sea — swampy delta area. The agreeable result of this seaside location is a cuisine notable for fish and shellfish. Sharon and I finished a wonderful day in Pisa quite late and had to drive 2 hours back to our BnB, and so left Pisa without any dinner, a dinner which was to involve their famous Spaghetti with Clams. Our long, hungry ride led to a serious craving for this pasta, and the next day we made it ourselves — loved it!

Method

1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 litres of water). While the water is heating, prep the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley.
2
Add the spaghetti to the boiling water, set your timer for 2 minutes less than the recommended time (so you can be assured that you are cooking the pasta al dente).
3
Cook the spaghetti uncovered in vigorously boiling water.
4
While the spaghetti cooks, prepare the clam sauce: heat olive oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic, the red chili pepper flakes, and anchovy paste. Cook for a minute, until the garlic is just on the edge of browning. Add the white wine to the pan. Open the jars/cans of clams and empty the juice from both into the pan as well. Raise the temperature to high and let the sauce reduce about two-thirds — there should be about ⅓ cup of liquid still in the pan. Add the chopped clams, and return to a simmer. Stir in the minced parsley and the lemon zest.
5
When the pasta is done to the point of al dente, tong it into a serving bowl (a little of the pasta water with it will help thicken and bind the sauce to the pasta).
6
Pour the sauce from the pan over the spaghetti and toss to combine. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
7
Serve with a little more fresh parsley sprinkled over the top.

Ingredients

Method