What Italian pasta dish features clams, white wine, garlic, and parsley?

The Italian pasta dish featuring clams, white wine, garlic, and parsley is spaghetti alle vongole, literally “spaghetti with clams.” It originated in Italy’s coastal regions and is especially associated with southern Italian cuisine.

The dish is commonly prepared in bianco, with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and sometimes white wine. A second style, in rosso, adds tomatoes and fresh basil; that tomato-based version is more frequent in parts of southern Italy. As the clams cook, they open and release flavorful liquid that becomes a central part of the sauce.

Traditional recipes may use carpet-shell clams, known in Italian as vongole veraci, or small Mediterranean wedge shells called telline or bean clams. Regional names and ingredients vary, so linguine alle vongole is a close relative rather than a completely different concept.

Cream and grated cheese sometimes appear in Italian-American versions, but they are not typical of the dish in Italy. Many Italian cooks avoid cheese with seafood because its strong flavor can overpower the clams and olive oil. The pasta is served as a primo, or first course.