Serves 4
500g spaghetti
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1kg pipis
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (tender but with bite).
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over. Add garlic and chilli and stir over moderate heat until garlic softens. Increase heat, add wine and pipis, stir and cover for a couple of minutes until shells start to open. Using a slotted spoon, remove open shells, placing them on a plate. Cover for another minute or 2 to give the others a chance to open. Remove pan from heat, return open shells to pan, cover and set aside.
As soon as pasta is cooked, drain and tip into the pan with the pipis. Add parsley and salt (remembering that the juice from the shells is already salty), and toss through spaghetti. Serve immediately.
Notes: Pipis are usually sold ‘purged’ to remove sand and grit, if they haven’t been purged, place them in a large bowl of water for several hours, or overnight, at room temperature (if you refrigerate them they’ll close up and won’t ‘spit out’ the sand).
