Buchu Vongole Spaghetti (Korean Garlic Chive and Clam Pasta)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 33 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
Buchu vongole spaghetti takes the Italian vongole format and finishes it with a fistful of Korean garlic chives, combining a briny shellfish sauce with the sharp, vegetal fragrance that buchu brings.
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Garlic slices and dried chili flakes are first infused in olive oil until fragrant, then white wine goes in and the alcohol burns off quickly, leaving only the wine's fruity character in the base. Manila clams added to the pan steam open in two to three minutes under a lid, releasing their liquor into the oil and wine. That clam broth carries enough salinity and umami to season the entire sauce - no added salt required at any point. A ladleful of pasta water stirred in while shaking the pan hard creates an emulsion that bonds the clam broth with the olive oil and coats every strand. The garlic chives are added off heat so they stay bright green and fragrant rather than going soft and losing their character. A scatter of chopped Italian parsley over the finished bowl adds a last note of herbal freshness.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Soak 500g clams in salt water (1L water with 1 tablespoon salt) for 30 minutes to purge grit.
Cut buchu chives and parsley into 3cm lengths.
- 2Finish
Bring 2L of well-salted water to a boil and cook 180g spaghetti for 1 minute less than the package time.
Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- 3Control
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide pan over low heat.
Add 3 sliced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon chili flakes, then cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 4Control
Add the drained clams and 100ml white wine, cover with a lid, and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes until all the clams have opened. Discard any that stay closed.
- 5Control
Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan with the clams.
Add pasta water little by little and toss over high heat for 1 minute until the clam broth and starch emulsify into a glossy sauce.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat, add 40g buchu chives and 10g parsley, and toss gently using residual heat.
Season with 0.5 teaspoon salt and 0.3 teaspoon pepper and plate immediately.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Briny clam broth meets the sharp vegetal fragrance of Korean garlic chives in this vongole.
- Finish cue
- Add pasta water little by little and toss over high heat for 1 minute until the clam broth and starch emulsify into a glossy sauce.
- Avoid this
- Discard unopened clams after cooking to avoid off flavors.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
33min, 10 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 109 recipes
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