Dish guides
What is spaghetti alle vongole?
Spaghetti alle vongole is spaghetti (or linguine) tossed with fresh clams, garlic, olive oil and parsley, often with a splash of white wine. The clams are served in their shells and there's no cheese. It's a classic primo of Italy's coasts, especially around Naples.
- At a glance
- Spaghetti alle vongole
- Spaghetti with fresh clams, garlic, olive oil and parsley.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like spah-GET-tee AHL-leh VONG-goh-leh · IPA /spaˈɡetti alle ˈvoŋɡole/
- Also written as
- spaghetti vongole, linguine alle vongole, linguine vongole, spaghetti alle vongole veraci, pasta alle vongole
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- spaghetti or linguine
- fresh clams (vongole veraci)
- garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- parsley
Often added
- dry white wine
- dried or fresh chilli
- cherry tomatoes (in rosso)
- bottarga (cured fish roe)
- a knob of butter (some restaurants)
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Molluscs | Typically contains |
| Gluten | Typically contains |
| Sulphites | Often contains |
| Fish | Sometimes contains |
| Dairy | Sometimes contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Eggs | Rarely contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | Usually |
| Halal | Depends — Most halal traditions accept clams, but not all; white wine is often cooked into the sauce. |
| Kosher | No |
| Gluten-free | Depends — Only when it's made with gluten-free pasta (pasta senza glutine), which some restaurants offer on request. |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
What's in it: in bianco or in rosso
Live clams, usually vongole veraci (carpet-shell clams), are cooked quickly in hot olive oil with plenty of garlic, often with a splash of white wine, until they open and release their salty juice. That juice is the sauce. The spaghetti is finished in the pan with the clams and a handful of parsley, sometimes with a little chilli.
Most menus serve it in bianco, without tomato. In rosso versions add cherry tomatoes and are more common in the south. A little grated bottarga, cured fish roe, is a popular restaurant extra in Sardinia and beyond.
On the plate and how to eat it
Expect a shallow bowl of glossy pasta with clams in their shells, some already shelled. Pick the meat out with your fork and put the empty shells in the extra bowl the waiter brings, or on the side of your plate. Leave any clams that stayed closed. Italians don't add parmesan to seafood pasta, and most restaurants won't offer it.
In Italy, a menu has to mark ingredients that were bought frozen, often with an asterisk or the word surgelato. Frozen clams are common in inland and budget places.
Where and when it's eaten
You'll find it in the primi section on menus all along Italy's coasts and in most cities. Naples and the Amalfi Coast are its heartland, and in many Neapolitan homes it's part of the Christmas Eve dinner, when meat is traditionally avoided. It's eaten at lunch and dinner, often as a first course before grilled fish.
Typical price
Median price 17 EUR
Typical range 12–20 EUR.
Median of 39 menus, 2025-05 – 2026-05. Basis: Italian-language menus scanned with MenuGuide.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vorrei gli spaghetti alle vongole, per favore. | I'd like the spaghetti with clams, please. |
| Le vongole sono fresche o surgelate? | Are the clams fresh or frozen? |
| Sono allergico ai crostacei: ci sono gamberi nel sugo? | I'm allergic to crustaceans: are there prawns in the sauce? |
Not to be confused with
- Spaghetti allo scoglio — Mixed seafood: clams plus mussels, prawns or squid, usually with tomato.
- Spaghetti alle cozze — Made with mussels instead of clams.
- Carbonara — Egg, guanciale and pecorino; no seafood.
Frequently asked questions
Do you put cheese on spaghetti alle vongole?
No. In Italy, grated cheese isn't added to clam pasta or most other seafood pasta, because it would overpower the delicate taste of the clams. Waiters rarely bring parmesan with it, and asking for some may get a raised eyebrow. Some restaurants abroad add cheese or cream, but that isn't the Italian way.
Are clams shellfish? Can I eat it with a shellfish allergy?
Clams are molluscs, a different allergen group from crustaceans such as prawns, crab and lobster. Some people allergic to crustaceans can eat molluscs and others can't, so check with your doctor. In Italian, ask "Sono allergico ai molluschi" or "ai crostacei" to be specific, and remember that seafood kitchens handle both.
Is spaghetti alle vongole gluten free?
Not normally, because it's made with wheat spaghetti or linguine. The sauce of clams, olive oil, garlic, parsley and wine doesn't usually contain gluten, so the dish can be gluten-free with gluten-free pasta. Some restaurants offer pasta senza glutine on request; ask about separate cooking water if you need to avoid cross-contact.
How do you pronounce spaghetti alle vongole?
Say spah-GET-tee AHL-leh VONG-goh-leh. The stress in spaghetti falls on the second syllable, and the gh is a hard g. Vongole is stressed on the first syllable, with the ng as in "long". In IPA it's [spaˈɡetti alle ˈvoŋɡole].
