members recipes

Typical dish from the Versilia coast in Tuscany, between Viareggio and Lido di Camaiore.

Ingredients
1 kg arselle (banded wedge shells); to be honest, I haven’t got the faintest idea if this is at all available outside Italy• Arselle are definitely not vongole (striped venus clam) or vongole veraci (chequered carpet shell): they’re much smaller• If you cannot get hold of arselle, try the recipe with vongole• It will give you an idea of the taste of this dish.

350 grams spaghettini, of the best possible, artisanal quality (Martelli is what I use)

1 clove of garlic

olive oil (extra vergine, if possible Lucca DOP, or a 100% taggiasca Riviera Ligure di Ponente)

flat leaf parsley, let’s say a handful, finely chopped

chilli pepper (peperoncino) to taste; there should only be a hint of peperoncino in the dish; if in doubt use very little or none at all.

glass of dry white wine, of excellent quality

Method
Fry the finely chopped garlic clove for 1 minute in the olive oil. Do not let it brown though. Add the shells and the peperoncino and cook for three minutes, covered. Add the glass of white wine, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghettini, and drain a few minutes before they’re al dente. Add to the pan with the clams, together with the chopped parsley. Keep on the fire for an extra minute of so till the pasta is al dente.