Italian author and TV presenter Silvia Colloca shares her delicious Spaghettini recipe and shows how you can pair it with the right wine.
Silvia Colloca’s Spaghettini with Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, skin on, bashed with the palm of your hand
- 3 spring onions, roughly chopped
- 1⁄2 red chilli thinly sliced, plus extra to garnish
- 200ml Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
- 1 small handful of baby capers, well washed
- 650g of cherry tomatoes
- 1.5kg of vongole, well washed
- 400g spaghettini
- 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic, spring onion and chilli and toss until the garlic starts to become golden and fragrant
3. Add the vongole, tomatoes, capers, pour in the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio and cook for about 2 minutes until the alcohol has evaporated
4. Cover with a tight‒fitting lid and allow the shells to open. They will start to open after 1‒2 minutes. As they do, fish them out with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a clean bowl. Discard any that don’t open
5. In the meantime, drop your spaghettini into the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes, to just before al dente. Remove the spaghettini with tongs and drop them into the wine and tomato sauce, dragging along a little pasta cooking water
6. Start stirring gently for 1‒2 minutes—the sauce will thicken ever so slightly as the spaghettini soak up all the juices. Turn off the heat, then return the open vongole to the pan, along with the precious juices they released while resting. Scatter over the parsley and extra chilli and eat straight away
