Some of the tastiest clams in the world can be found in Italy. There are lots of different types of these little shellfish, but in Italian cooking the most popular are Manila clams, with beautiful striped shells. This collection of clam recipes comes from some of Italy's finest chefs.

The most famous clam recipe from Italy is spaghetti alle vongole, a simple combination of pasta, clams, white wine and garlic. But there are countless ways of preparing them and including their meat in dishes. Roberto Petza uses clams in his Seafood soup with fregula, basil and citrus; Grazia Soncini keeps things simple with Maltagliati clams and wild asparagus and Antonino Cannavacciuolo uses the shellfish to flavour risotto in his Risotto with clams, lemon and thyme.

As with all shellfish, it’s important to know how to prepare them correctly to get the best flavour. Check out our How to cook clams guide for a general overview and then watch our short video on tips for how to open clams safely.