Bucatini alle Vongole

A nostalgic, comforting pasta dish featuring briny clams in a garlicky white wine sauce. Bucatini soaks up all the flavor while chili breadcrumbs add crunch. It's a weeknight favorite.

Why You'll Love Bucatini alle Vongole

The clams purge in polenta water for 30 minutes, sometimes twice, to get rid of any grit. The pasta cooks a minute short of al dente, then finishes right in the clam sauce with a splash of pasta water until it turns creamy and clings to the noodles.

Tips and Tricks

• Soak clams in cold water with polenta to help them purge any sand - don't skip this step!
• Remove clams as they open to avoid overcooking and toughening the meat.
• Save your pasta water - it's the secret to creating a silky sauce that clings to the noodles.

Variations

• Use spaghetti or linguine in place of bucatini.
• Add lemon zest for brightness.
• Swap chili breadcrumbs for plain panko or omit for a more traditional version.

Substitutions

• Clams → mussels or shrimp (adjust cook time accordingly)
• White wine → clam juice or seafood stock with a splash of vinegar
• Polenta → cornmeal or omit if clams are already clean

Best Served With

• Chilled dry white wine (like Vermentino or Pinot Grigio)
• Warm, crusty bread for soaking up sauce
• A simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette

How to Store Leftovers

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of water or white wine to loosen the sauce.
• Not recommended for freezing - clams can become rubbery.

Common Questions

Bucatini alle Vongole

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A nostalgic, comforting pasta dish featuring briny clams in a garlicky white wine sauce. Bucatini soaks up all the flavor while chili breadcrumbs add crunch. It's a weeknight favorite.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 2

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

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For the Clams & Sauce

• Kosher salt
• 2 lb fresh small clams littlenecks, Manilas, or cockles
• 1 tablespoon polenta
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more to finish
• 2 garlic cloves very thinly sliced
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ lb dried bucatini
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 handful fresh parsley small, minced

Optional

• Chili breadcrumbs for topping

Equipment

• Large bowl
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Tongs
• Pasta pot
• Large Skillet
• Slotted spoon

Method

 

Purge the Clams

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in 1 tablespoon polenta.
2. Add clams and let soak for 30 minutes. Lift out, discard water.
3. Repeat soaking with fresh water 1-2 more times until clams no longer release sand. Discard clams that remain open after tapping.

Cook the Sauce

1. In a large skillet, combine olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until garlic is lightly golden, ~5 min.
3. Add white wine and clams, cover, increase heat to high.
4. Cook, checking every 30 seconds and removing clams as they open (about 5 minutes total). Discard any unopened clams.
5. Let clams cool, then remove meat from most. Reserve a few in shell for garnish. Roughly chop large clam meat if needed.

Cook the Pasta

1. In lightly salted water, cook bucatini until just shy of al dente (about 1 min under package instructions). Reserve 1 cup pasta water.

Finish the Dish

1. Add pasta to skillet with white wine sauce and a few tablespoon pasta water. If the sauce looks tight or greasy, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time, tossing between additions, until it looks silky.
2. Cook over high heat, tossing to coat until sauce becomes creamy.
3. Stir in butter, clam meat, and shell-on clams. Cook until heated through, ~1 min.
4. Add more pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time if sauce gets too dry or greasy.
5. Season with salt, stir in parsley and a fresh drizzle of olive oil.

To Serve

1. Divide between bowls, top with chili breadcrumbs if using, and serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: best eaten immediately, since pasta with clams doesn't reheat well. If needed, refrigerate, sealed, for up to 1 day and reheat gently with a splash of water.

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