In this column we share the cuisine and recipes of Italy and our Italian American communities. Each month we feature recipes curated from our research and those shared by LGI readers.
Food and cooking are important aspects of our cultural identity and sharing recipes is one way for us to connect to our roots and to one another!
We invite you to share your family recipes and the stories behind them with us! Please email your favorite recipes and photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. beforeDecember 10. For more recipes like this, subscribe to La Gazzetta Italiana.
Buon appetito!
Spaghetti in Clam Sauce
dalla cucina di La Gazzetta Italiana
In many Italian families, Christmas Eve (“la Vigilia”) is a seafood based dinner tradition. A pasta with seafood like clams is elegant yet not overly heavy, making it ideal for the first main course of the evening. It allows you to bring together fresh, good quality ingredients (clams, olive oil, garlic, parsley) in a simple but festive way. Here’s a wonderful Italian style main dish perfect for a festive Christmas Eve dinner.
Ingredients:
EVOO
1 lb. Spaghetti
2 lbs. Fresh clams
3-4 Cloves of garlic
½ C. Dry white wine
Fresh, chopped parsley
Pinch of red pepper
Lemon zest or squeeze of lemon juice
Directions:
Clean and rinse the fresh clams thoroughly (discard any that are open and do not close). In a large pot/pan, gently sauté 3 4 cloves of garlic (sliced) and a pinch of red pepper flakes in good olive oil until fragrant (but not browned). Add about ½ cup of dry white wine and bring to a gentle boil, then add the clams, cover, and cook until all (or almost all) clams open (about 5 7 minutes). Discard any unopened clams. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and add into the clam mixture along with a handful of chopped fresh parsley and a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Toss gently so the pasta takes up the clam juices. Finish with a drizzle of extra‐virgin olive oil, a bit of fresh parsley, and optionally lemon zest or a squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately.
