A classic meal of spaghetti and clams.

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 cans minced clams
1 Tbs finely chopped parsley
small pinch of red pepper flakes
salt
1/3 cup of dry white wine
2 Tbs butter
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Sauté the garlic in oil in a large skillet, over a medium-high heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Stir in parsley and red pepper flakes. Do not let the garlic brown.
2. Slowly stir in liquid from the clams. Cover and cook over low heat 4 minutes.
3. Add clams and white wine. Stir occasionally, until the alcohol evaporates. (The steam will no longer tickle your nose.) About 1 minute.
4. Remove from the heat.
5. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, add 1 tbs of salt, and drop in the pasta all at once, stirring until the strands are submerged. If you have a smaller pot, you can use less than 4 quarts of water, but you must constantly stir the spaghetti for one minute.
6. When the pasta is molto al dente (about 1 minute away from being al dente), drain.
7. Return the skillet with the clams to a medium heat and add the drained pasta so that it finishes cooking in the skillet. Cook until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid in the skillet is evaporated.
8. Stir in butter and serve at once.

This dish is also great when served with linguine.

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