Tagliolini with escaped clams

Tagliolini with escaped clams is a delicious and relatively simple dish to prepare. Here’s how it’s done.

Ingredients

• 400 g of tagliolini
• 1 kg of genuine clams
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh parsley to taste
• Red chili pepper (optional)
• 100 ml of dry white wine
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Begin by washing the clams under cold running water to remove any sand residues. Then place them in a bowl with cold salted water for about an hour so that they lose any remaining sand.
2. Drain the clams and in a large pan sauté the garlic cloves with some oil and the chili pepper.
3. Add the clams to the pan, increase the heat and deglaze with the white wine. Cover with a lid and cook until the clams have completely opened.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the tagliolini following the instructions on the package to achieve al dente pasta.
5. Once the clams are ready, remove the lid, discard the garlic and, if desired, shell part of the clams leaving some whole for the presentation of the dish.
6. Drain the tagliolini and transfer them to the pan with the clams, tossing them to mix with the sauce. If necessary, add a little cooking water to make the sauce creamier.
7. Plate the tagliolini with clams, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Curiosity

“Fujute” is a dialect term meaning “escaped” in Italian, as traditionally most of the clams are removed from the shells, as if they had “escaped” from their home. This preparation is widespread in the Naples area and reflects the creativity of the local cuisine in blending the sea with the land through simple but flavorful recipes.