I'm not a fan of pasta, coz it's carbo-high and for someone who is dying to lose weight, i was horrified to find myself falling in love with Vongole @Etna.
So much so that i tried to duplicate it at home but sad to say, i still can't get the taste right.
And while doing my weekly groceries shopping at Carrefour, i was delighted to find the 'Vongole Sauce' by Prima Taste and with the 'How To Cook' printed at the back of the pack. Dying to try it, i bought the rest of the ingredients. Here are what i prepared this evening:
Garlic - really, this is personal taste. I love garlic, so naturally, i put in a lot more than required. Also, finely cut bird's eye chilli, commonly known as 'cili padi'. Btw, do you know i was called 'cili padi' throughout my school days. Yah, that's why i always tell you people, 'don't mess with me or my kid!'. LOL :)
White sliced button mushroom - i love mushroom so i added them in although this recipe didn't call for any mushroom :)
The Star of the dish - Clams!! I love the distinctive taste of clams but the recipe called for only 8 miserable clams! So i bought 2 packs instead, with a total about 30?? LOL.. But actually, the more clams you have, the juicier and more aromatic the dish will be!
What else do i have?
Spaghetti - This is the usual brand i got for Shane, Barilla wholewheat spaghetti in number 5, just the right size! You don't have to use spaghetti if you don't like, in fact, any other pasta or noodle will do. Even Maggie noodle :)
Now, time to cook!
First, blanched the spaghetti in boiling water until it's soft. This brand takes about 5 - 8 mins, depending on the heat. Add a spoonful of salt when the water is boiled, then add the spaghetti. Salt brings out the natural flavor of the pasta, so it taste better! And don't worry about it being too salty for your liking. You won't even taste much of the salt, except from the sauce!
When it's soft and nice, pour away the hot water and rinsed it a few times with cold cold water. This will remove excess starch and maintain the consistency of the spaghetti at that level where you stopped boiling. I also find the spaghetti slighltly more 'springy' (not sure what the word is) after giving it the cold water treatment. Leave it aside and now, we can prepare the sauce.
Fry the garlic and chilli together, my garlic is a little burnt coz i like it like that.
Next, put in the mushroom.
Now add in the clams, and after stirring quickly for half a minute, put in the Prima Taste Vongole Sauce. The sauce is brown in color, not thick or creamy and it's about a cup and rather flavourful. Also, add in the rice wine (as per the instructions).
Simmer it for a minute, then add in the spaghetti. Stir it well for another half minute and you're ready to serve!!
Well, for my dinner tonite, i added in:
Olives
Wild rockets
And tadah... my Vongole!!
Verdict: Although it still doesn't taste the same as Etna's, but it's closer to it than my own version, so i'm gonna give it a few more tries, add/minus an ingredient here and there and see what i come up with next.
