Spaghetti alle Vongole

In Italy, exact recipes for spaghetti alle vongole vary from region to region and even from market to market place. It's really all about interpretation when we get to prepare this excuisite dish. Everybody believe to master the best Spaghetti Vongole on earth. Well, here is how I see it and I let you do the rest at your home :) Remember that a good cooking will depend on your ingredients and mood! Happiness is to be found along the way and not at the end of the road! So, please enjoy the process of making Spaghetti alle Vongole with your friends and loved ones! 

Some will add chilli, dried or fresh, and occasionally you will see tomatoes added, although I prefer the purist version with no tomatoes and just a hint of dried chilli.

The clams used vary too and can be quite expensive. Always try to use smaller ones that cook quickly and stay tender. You could also use cockles, mussels or razor clams in this dish or canned clams work really well. Look for the Italian brands actually sold as Vongole. Drain and rinse well, then just add them to the softened aromatics and warm through gently.

350-400g dried Spaghetti (My favourite brand is Barilla or Colavita) 

5tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
4 garlic cloves, crushed 
2 large shallots, finely chopped 
1/2tsp dried red chilli 
800g small clams rinsed well in cold running water 
2tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley 
3tbsp dry white wine 
Salt and freshly ground white pepper 
50g unsalted butter

A video of my best personal inspiration and one of the best Spaghetti Vongole makers on earth, Antonio Carluccio has it all! 

Cook the Spaghetti in boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, then drain. While the Spaghetti is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan large enough to hold the clams and gently cook the garlic, shallots and chilli for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the clams with the parsley and white wine, season with salt and pepper, turn up the heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, giving the occasional stir, until all the clams have opened (one or two may not, so don't keep cooking just for them once most have opened). Add the butter and the drained spaghetti to the pan, stir well over a low heat for a minute and serve immediately.

Et voila! Buon appetito a tutti! 

Breath-Taking Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa

Orecchiette con cime di rape is the signature dish of the Puglia region of southern Italy. Orecchiette literally translates as "little ears". They look like little bowl shaped discs that are ideal for catching the wonderful sauce they are to be tossed with. 

Every village in the Puglia region has a special way of making them. It is worth the effort and expense to seek out the best orecchiette you can find to make this dish, but if necessary Barilla is the brand that makes orecchiette that are readily available at most supermarkets. I am aware that orechiette pasta cannot be found in many countries but sometimes it depends on luck and occasionally food stores come up with new stuff. 

My place in Singapore for example, I depend on public transport that carries me to the center of the city. Right there at ION shopping mal, there is an Italian store that sells authentic Italian products. Otherwise it’s almost mission impossible to get orecchiette in Asia.

This classic dish features cime di rape, also known as broccoli rabe in English, or sometimes referred to as turnip greens. I was able to find broccoli rabe at a local grocery store, but you may need to go to a local Chinese or Italian produce market. Make sure it is nice and fresh, your dish will be a real treat.

Ingredients:

2 bunches (about 2-3 pounds) broccoli rabe (damage $ 4.00)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 anchovy fillets, chopped (damage $ 3.50)
extra virgin olive oil
some salt
grated pecorino cheese (damage $ 3.50)
1 pound dried orecchiette pasta (damage $ 3.50)

First put a large pot of water to boil, add salt generously. Wash your broccoli rabe, and cut off any hard stems.  Put the broccoli rabe to boil in the salted water for about 10 minutes. When it is tender, remove it from the water with a slotted spoon, drain in a collander and set aside. You will use this same water to cook the pasta, so don't pour it out.

Next add the orecchiette to the same boiling water, and cook according to the package directions. You want the orecchiette cooked, but still al dente. While the pasta is cooking, you will prepare the broccoli rabe condiment for your pasta. In order to get the consistency I like, before heating the broccoli rabe with the other ingredients, I put it in the food processor and pulse it a little bit. You can coursely chop it to your desired consistency prior to using. In a large skillet heat about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic, and stir until brown, I personally love to have lot’s of garlic. Then put the chopped anchovies and break them up with your spoon. Add the broccoli rabe to the skillet and stir well until all the ingredients have combined. You may want to add a little bit of salt, and perhaps a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or some chilli padi (some fusion doesn’t hurt) 

When the pasta is done (usually 7 to 8 minutes), drain it, and add it to the skillet. Toss all the ingredients together over medium heat until they are well blended together. Add more extra virgin olive oil if needed. Serve your orechiette with a sprinkling of grated pecorino cheese on top, and enjoy with a nice red wine.

Buon appetito!