Spaghetti, clams and grilled plum cherry tomatoes

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Spaghetti with clams is on one of the great Italian food combinations. In his take on the classic spaghetti alle vongole, two Michelin-starred chef Mauro Uliassi gives the pasta a subtle, smoky flavour with the addition of a smoked eel broth and chargrilled tomatoes.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Spaghetti with clams and plum cherry tomatoes

  • 240g of spaghetti
  • 1kg clams, washed well
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 12 plum cherry tomatoes
  • olive oil
  • salt

Fish broth

  • 250ml of fish stock
  • 50g of smoked eel

To serve

  • 1 handful of chopped parsley
  • freshly ground black pepper

Equipment

  • Dehydrator

Method

1
To begin, heat a wide based saucepan over a high heat. Once hot, add the clams and 200ml water. Cover the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the shells have opened
2
Pass the contents of the pan through a fine sieve, retaining the clam-infused water, and remove the clams from their shells
3
For the fish broth, boil the eel in the fish stock for 30 minutes and set aside
  • 50g of smoked eel
  • 250ml of fish stock
4
To prepare the tomatoes, blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds, then cool in iced water
  • 12 plum cherry tomatoes
5
Peel and cut the tomatoes in half, then drizzle with a little oil and salt. Place on a grill pan and grill on a high heat until the tomatoes are slightly charred on one side
  • olive oil
  • salt
6
Dry at 50°C in a dehydrator for 1 hour
7
In a large saucepan filled with salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente
8
Meanwhile, sauté the chopped garlic in a medium saucepan for 2 minutes, then add a small ladle of the clam water and fish stock
  • 3 garlic cloves
9
Drain the pasta and finish it's cooking in the garlic and stock saucepan, adding more stock if necessary to keep the pasta moist
10
To serve, place a portion of pasta on the plate and garnish with the plum tomatoes, clams, freshly ground pepper and a sprinkle of coarsely chopped parsley
  • 1 handful of chopped parsley
  • freshly ground black pepper

By turning his small beachside café into one of Italy’s top twenty restaurants, Mauro Uliassi has received three Michelin stars, won huge amounts of respect from his peers and created a sensory eating experience like no other.

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