Spaghetti with Clams (Vongole) in Tomato-Butter Sauce

Prepare the sauce base In a deep skillet or wide sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, halved cherry tomatoes, parsley stalks, a generous pinch of salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the butter. Stir everything well and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 12-15 minutes. The onion should become soft and translucent, the cherry tomatoes should soften and release their juices, and the garlic should become very fragrant.

Cook the pasta While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Cook the spaghetti al dente according to package instructions, but 2-3 minutes less than the recommended time (it will finish cooking in the sauce). Important: Reserve about 150-200 ml
(3-¾ cup) of pasta cooking water before draining.

Cook the clams When the sauce base is ready, add the clams and 100ml½ cup of water or white wine. Increase the heat to high, cover with a lid, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally. As soon as most clams have opened, remove them from the pan with tongs and set aside in a bowl (discard any clams that remain closed).

Combine everything Add the drained al dente pasta directly into the skillet with the sauce.
Toss well to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water (start with 3-4 tablespoons). Cook together for another 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat until the pasta is perfectly done and has absorbed the delicious sauce.

Serve Divide the pasta between two warm plates. Top with the cooked clams. Spoon the remaining buttery sauce generously over the top. Garnish with chopped parsley leaves (optional) and an extra pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately with crusty bread.