Across Italy · No.15 / 103
Vongole Rosso
Vongole Rosso
A red clam pasta that folds white-wine-steamed clams and their liquor into a reduced tomato sauce.
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Cook this pasta on video
Watch the creators’ original videos for the method and finish.
Tomomi OguraSpaghetti vongole rossoWatch on YouTube ↗
Meet the dish
An Italian clam-and-tomato pasta variation; no specific regional origin has been verified
Carry clam liquor into the tomato while keeping a clear shellfish outline inside the red sauce.
Pasta shapes to use
- Spaghettini
Key ingredients
- Clams in the shell
- Canned tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- White wine
- Olive oil
Follow the cooking scenes
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Step 1: Reduce the tomato sauce
Cook onion and garlic, add roughly crushed tomatoes with their juices, and simmer uncovered until reduced by about one third.
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Step 2: Steam the clams
Add white wine to cleaned clams, cover, and steam only until the shells open.
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Step 3: Build the red sauce
Add tomato sauce to the clam liquor and bring it to a brief simmer. Taste the natural salinity before seasoning.
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Step 4: Toss quickly
Add cooked spaghettini and coat it over medium heat. Keep the clams intact and plate immediately.
What to watch for
- Keep cooking brief after the shells open so the clam meat stays plump.
- Reduce the tomatoes first, then use clam liquor to restore the right consistency.
What sets it apart
Unlike the clear liquor of vongole bianco, rosso adds the sweet acidity of reduced tomato.
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