Spaghetti "Vongole" with Cloudy Bay Surf Clams by John Lethlean

This recipe comes from Neil Perry, The Food I Love with the addition of melted cherry tomatoes by John Lethlean
400 g Alligator Brand spaghetti
12 cherry tomatoes
1 kg live Cloudy Bay clams
125 ml extra virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
4 cloves finely chopped garlic
4 finely chopped french shallots
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
60 ml dry white wine
35 g chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180 - 200 degrees.
2. Toss cherry tomatoes in olive oil in 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt
and pepper.
3. Roast in the oven until skins are blistered and flesh starting to
melt.
4. Remove tomatoes from oven and keep warm
5. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan that has a
tight-fitting lid.
6. Add the garlic, shallots and sweat until soft but not golden
(about 5 minutes on low to medium heat).
7. When soft, add chilli flakes and white wine and bring to the boil.
8. Add the clams and cover.
9. Steam over a high heat for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan, until the
shells open.
10. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water
until al dente (about 5 minutes), then drain well.
11. Add the spaghetti and chopped parsley to the saucepan and toss
through.
12. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, squish the
tomatoes through your fingers over the spaghetti and serve in four
deep pasta bowls.
Variation
- This combination of pasta, garlic, chilli and parsley works well with all seafood. You can replace the clams with mussels, pippies or fresh crab meat.
- Or you can sauté some prawns (shrimp), rest them on a plate while you make the sauce, then when ready, add the prawns and pasta and toss together.
- Another good combination is to sauté some squid, perhaps even adding a little squid ink, and toss through the pasta.