Spaghetti with Clams, (Spaghetti all Vongole)

I love spaghetti Vongole and this recipe is from Josh Emmett’s Bible of cooking The Recipe . and he received it from Danielle Alvarez, and it is delicious . in the book Josh suggests getting everything well prepared and ready to go and once stared it all happens very quickly , add the parsley at the end to keep it fresh

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves finely minced
10 to12c stems of parsley leaves picked and finely chopped, reserve the stalks
350gms small clams
3/4 cup plus 1 1/4 tbsp (200ml ) white wine
300g dried spaghetti
1/2 to 1 tsp to your taste finely chopped red chilli or dried chilli flakes
1 lemon
2 tbsp ( 30 g ) butter.

Method

In a large , wide pan ( with lid nearby )set over medium heat , add about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and saute half of the minced garlic for 20 seconds. Add the parsley stalks and quickly drop the clams into the pan, pour over the white wine, and quickly turn the heat on high and put the lid on, Allow the claims to stem for 1 to 2 minutes. ( I have used the vacuumed packed clams which work well and are pre cooked but I still follow this step so the flavours develop )
Take the lid off and remove any of the un opened clams leaving the broth in the pan . If any haven’t opened , place the lid back on and keep cooking, checking every couple of seconds( if some dont open at all , discard them )
Once all the clams are out, reduce the heat to medium and taste the liquid that the clams have released , If it tastes like there is some alcohol in the wine still remaining , let it cook for a bit more. It will probably be a bit salty but that’s good . Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and set aside
Set a large pot of water to boil and season very well with salt. Add your spaghetti and cook until al dente, or just before al dente as I prefer to do
Return the same wide pan you cooked the clams in to a medium heat and add another 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil . Add the remaining garlic along with the chilli and saute until they are soft and fragrant. Add the wine and clam liquid back in ( it should be about 2/3 to 1 cup ( 150 t0 200ml ). Let this come to a simmer
When the pasta is done, lift it out of the water using tongs, and drop it into the wide pan. Add approx 3/4 cup ( 180ml )of the pasta water. Toss this together ( this is why you need a big wide pan )for a couple of minutes and until the liquid is almost cooked out and the pasta looks nicely coated . Now add your clams back in adding with 3 to 4 tablespoons of chopped parsley , a couple of microplanes of lemon zest, the juice of half the lemon ( or less if you don’t like too much acidity )and about 2 tbsp of butter. Toss everything together and taste
Feel free to adjust the salt , lemon juice and add more butter for a richer taste,
Divide between bowls and serve