Spaghetti Vongole (Pasta with Clams)

Directions

1. Put a pan of water and bring to a boil.
2. Prepare a larger pan with lid and heat on the stove.
3. Chop the parsley stalks finely; chop the leaves roughly.
4. Peel and chop the garlic, quarter the tomatoes, and get the wine ready.
5. Add the pasta to the boiling water with a good pinch of salt and cook according to packet instructions until al dente. About 5 minutes before your pasta is ready, get ready to start cooking
6. Put 4 generous lugs of extra virgin olive oil into the hot pan and add the garlic, parsley stalks and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Crumble in the dried chilli and add the chopped tomatoes. Stir everything around constantly and just as the garlic starts to colour, tip in the clams and pour in the wine.
8. After about 3 or 4 minutes the clams will start to open, so keep shuffling the pan around until all of them have opened. Take the pan off the heat. Get rid of any clams that haven't opened.
9. Drain the pasta and add to the pan of clams along with the parsley leaves and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
10. Stir or toss for a further minute or two to let the beautiful seashore juices from the clams be absorbed into the pasta.
11. Serve right away with some fresh hunks of bread to mop up the juices.