Secret to vongole pasta

Recipe for vongole-bottarga pasta

500g fresh clams
2 tbsp sake
– add the sake to a pot on high heat and once it starts to emit steam, add in the clams and cover with a lid. Shake it and allow it to steam for 3/4 minutes until more than half of the clams are opened
– strain the clams and clam juice out, once the clams are cooled, remove them from their shells
– filter the clam juice through a cheesecloth and when it is at room temperature, add in 10g of kombu. Add the clam meat back into the clam juice then cover and leave in the fridge overnight

Pasta:
Boil 200g of spaghetti or linguini according to instructions
2 tbsp cheaper olive oil
2 garlic clove
3 parsley stems
Pinch of chilli flakes
1/2 cup sake
– saute the garlic clove and parsley stems in the olive oil on medium heat to infuse. Remove before they get burnt(you can leave the garlic clove in but I would only use 1 clove and mince it)
– add the chilli flakes in to toast for a minute. Then pour in the sake and allow it to reduce till 1/4 of the original volume
– add in the reserved clam juice and allow to reduce
– add in the boiled pasta and add in a few ladles of pasta water, finish cooking the pasta in the sauce
– add the clams back in along 40g of grated bottarga or karasumi. Allow the clams to warm through for 1-2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with fish sauce/garum, you can use salt too
– turn off the heat and add in 1 tbsp of chopped parsley, 1 tbsp of chopped Shiso leaf and 1 tbsp of good quality olive oil. Mix and then serve

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