INGREDIENTS

• Kosher salt
• 6 ounces spaghetti
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 pounds cockles, Manila clams, or littlenecks scrubbed
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

PREPARATION

1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5-quart pot. Season lightly with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, swirling the pan often, until just golden. Add red pepper flakes and continue cooking 15 more seconds. Add wine, then clams; increase heat to high. Cover skillet and cook until clams open and release their juices, 3-6 minutes, depending on the size of clams. As clams open, use tongs to transfer them to a bowl.
3. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to skillet; bring to a boil. Add pasta to pan. Cook over high heat, tossing constantly until the pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the sauce from the pan. Add clams and any juices from the bowl to pan, along with parsley, and toss to combine. (Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Transfer pasta to warm bowls and drizzle with remaining oil.

The briny juices from the clams help to flavor this brothy sauce ; the fresher the clams, the better the dish. Clams’ salinity varies depending on their variety and provenance, so in this case, be sure to salt the pasta cooking water lightly.

Source