EASY SPAGHETTI VONGOLE

The age-old weeknight dilemma – tired as s***t, but still want some good, hot plate of home-cooked dinner to eat while not wearing pants and watching Netflix.
I don’t know about you, but I can attest based on my own experience that being a busy bee in a city can easily lure me into a pit of underwhelming takeouts that are usually unhealthy and frankly, expensive. Case in point, a plate of spaghetti vongole (spaghetti with clams) can go so wrong in so many ways. The restaurant charges you a fortune, the pasta isn’t even that great, and worse, the clams died 5 months ago with that smelly fishy smell.
The truth is, spaghetti vongole is so, so, so easy to make. And this comes from a girl who would never attempt to cook anything that takes more than 5 steps. It takes literally 15 mins, and it costs a fraction from eating out, so you can finally save up for that well-deserved nose job. You need a few ingredients, and although the original recipe asks for some wine/broth for the sauce, I find that using some pasta water is definitely sufficient. On your way back from office, stop by the grocer’s and pick up some clams (preferably alive) and a couple more basic ingredients that you probably already have anyway, and you’re good to go.
This recipe makes 2 plates of pasta.

What You Need
Dried pasta (amount is dependent on how hungry you are, tbh)
100-200 gms small clams
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 large red chili, de-seeded and chopped
1 bunch of coriander, stalks chopped
1 handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
½ lemon

What You Do

1. First, manhandle those clams. Wash them under warm water, and chuck out any clams that are broken or are already open.
2. Cook pasta in boiling salted water. Save about 1 cup of the water.
3. In a big pan, mix the olive oil with the garlic and chilies. Turn the heat on low. This is an important step as you’re infusing the oil and making it fragrant and flavorful.
4. After 2 mins, add the chopped coriander stalks. Stir everything around, making sure nothing burns. Add the tomatoes.
5. Put in the clams, the coriander leaves, stir them around, add a splash of that pasta water you saved, and close the lid on the pan for 2 mins.
6. Take off the lid (all the clams should be open!), and add in the pasta. This is the time for you to season the dish for taste, or add a bit more pasta water if needed.
7. Plate, garnish with some chopped coriander and cracked peper, squeeze in the lemon.
8. Eat, with a side of an empty bowl to chuck in the empty clam shells.