Learn how to cook "Spaghetti con le arselle"

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This activity will guide you through the steps of cooking the perfect "Spaghetti con le arselle" (pasta with clams) from Sabrina's kitchen, in Sardinia.
These are the ingredients you'll need:
spaghetti n.3 (spaghetti not too thin, not too thick)
arselle (fresh clams)
aglio (garlic)
olio evo (extra-virgin olive oil)
prezzemolo (parsley)
sale (salt)
mezzo bicchiere di vino bianco (half a glass of white wine)
Here is how you do it!
First step: you need to clean the clams. To do that, 3-4 hours before cooking, put the whole clams in a big bowl filled with salted water (or sea water, if you can find it). Leave them there to purge for 3-4 hours, changing the water at least 2 times in the meantime. This process is needed to get rid of impurities and sand from the clams, so don't skip it!
Then, let's cook.
Rinse the clams and get rid of the water, then throw them in a big pan on the stove, set on a high flame, and cook uncovered for a few minutes until you notice the clams opening up.
Take them off the heat when they're all open and put them on the side. Filter the cooking juices and keep it on the side for later. Take the clams, and keep one third with the shell and get rid of the shells for the remaining two thirds. Keep them aside.
At this point, start the pasta water: fill a big pot with water and put it on the stove, covered, to boil.
In the same pan (now empty) where you cooked the clams add some olive oil, minced garlic and chopped parsley. Light the stove, this time on low heat not to burn the garlic, and add all the clams, with and without shells, when the garlic starts sizzling a bit and you can smell it in the air. Don't wait too long or the garlic will burn! Cover the pan and wait 5-6 minutes.
After about six minutes, take the lid off, put the stove on high flame and add the wine, letting the alcohol evaporate with no lid on the pan. When the wine is evaporated enough, it takes just a few moments, turn off the heat.
In the meantime, the pasta water should be reaching boiling point. Now salt the pasta water (usa coarse salt but not too much, cause the clams are already salty) and when the water is boiling again, throw in the spaghetti.
Look at the cooking time on the pasta box and cook for 2-3 minutes less: the pasta will have to finish cooking in the pan.
When the pasta is cooked as per these directions, drain it and add it to the pan with the clams. Add also at this point the reserved cooking juices from the clams.
Toss the pasta with the clams on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and then turn off the heat and, if you'd like, add a little olive oil to taste before serving.
Additional ideas: if you like it spicy, you can use chili flavoured oil instead of normal olive oil in the cooking process. If you like and can get your hands on some bottarga (a typical fish product, made from dessicated mullet eggs), you can also grate some on top of the final product at the end.
Enjoy with a glass of good white wine!

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The owner of this badge has learned how to cook perfect "Spaghetti con arselle" with Sabrina's special recipe from Cagliari, Sardinia.

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ESCO

#cook fish

Crafts and making

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Time to complete: 10 minutes

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Ljubljana City of Learning

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A Gift of Learning

Ljubljana City of Learning

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