Go Back
+ servings

Spicy vongole pasta with fried capers

This sauce is a riff on a classic vongole, with the additional of a little chilli to pack a touch of heat. Using a high quality extra virgin olive oil is essential for creating the base of this sauce – it is an oil-based emulsion after all, so what you use here is truly evident in the finished dish.
Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: emulsion, olive oil, vongole
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

For the pasta

  • 350 g tipo 00 flour
  • 3 eggs and 3 yolks roughly 190g total weight
  • 1 tablespoon Cobram Estate Coratina Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the sauce

  • 8 tablespoons Cobram Estate Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4-5 stalks of parsley stems and leaves separated, leaves finely choppes
  • 4 garlic cloves 2 smashed (keep the skin on – helps not to burn!), 2 finely sliced
  • 1 kg vongole de-sanded
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 hot red chilli finely diced
  • 10 cherry tomatoes halved
  • For the fried capers
  • 4 tablespoons Cobram Estate Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 tablespoons capers

Instructions

Pasta

  • Place the flour in a mound on your work surface and make a well in the centre. Pour the eggs into the well along with the extra virgin olive oil, and using a fork, slowly begin to whisk until it’s all come together.
  • Start incorporating a little bit of flour at a time, whisking vigorously until you have a thick custard-like consistency.
  • Switch to a bench scraper, starting in front of you scoop up some flour from the outer edge and flip it over the centre. Use a chopping motion to cut the flour into the egg mixture. Repeat, moving around all sides of the flour.
  • Once you have a shaggy dough, use your hands to press into a ball. It might be a bit crumbly at first but keep going, and once you can see and feel a ball starting to take shape, it’s time to knead.
  • After 5 minutes of kneading, cover the dough in something airtight and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This will allow the dough to rehydrate and the gluten relax.
  • Return to the dough and continue kneading for another 5-7 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic, and not sticky at all.
  • Cover the dough again and let it rest for a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling and shaping.
  • If you need to leave your dough for longer, rest it in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before rolling and shaping.
  • NB – this is a fairly dry dough to work with, if you’re finding it hard to work with simply cover with cling film and let it rehydrate for 10 minutes, and use a spray bottle of water to spritz the dough during the kneading process.

Shaping the dough

  • Once the dough has rested, using a pasta sheeter or a rolling pin by hand, roll the dough to ~1mm thickness (setting 6 on a Marcato Atlas).
  • Allow the sheets to dry for a few minutes before dusting liberally with flour and cutting.
  • Place the sheet vertically in front of you, roll the bottom end up to the middle and the top end down to meet in the middle.
  • Cut thin strands with a large knife, unravel the pasta and place in nests until ready to cook.
  • NB – if you have the time, it’s best to allow the pasta to dry for at least an hour before cooking as it will result in a better cooked texture.

Fried capers

  • Place the capers on some paper towel and blot thoroughly to dry as much as possible.
  • Heat a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil then carefully add the capers.
  • The oil will bubble and splutter so be mindful – fry the capers for several minutes until blistered.
  • Drain on paper towel and set aside for later.

Vongole sauce

  • Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously.
  • In a large pan, heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over a medium heat and add the parsley stalks and 2 smashed garlic cloves.
  • Cook for a few minutes until fragrant then remove from the pan.
  • Tip in the vongole and the white wine and give everything a good shake. Allow the vongole to cook for approx 5 minutes until they have all opened.
  • Remove the vongole from the pan and place into a strainer over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid. Strain through the remaining liquid so everything is in the bowl.
  • Remove the meat from about half of the vongole, keep the other half in their shells, and discard any that haven’t opened.
  • In the same pan, add another 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over a medium heat, this time adding the sliced garlic and chilli.
  • Sauté for a few min then add the cherry tomatoes and allow these to cook for a couple of minutes until they start to blister slightly.
  • Ladle in the reserved vongole cooking liquid and agitate the pan to start building the sauce.
  • Meanwhile cook the pasta until al dente – from fresh this should really only take a couple of minutes – so as you add the pasta, also add the vongole back into the sauce.
  • Add the cooked pasta directly to the sauce, stir through the chopped parsley and toss vigorously.
  • Serve with fried capers and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
QR Code linking back to recipe