Zesty, garlicky and creamy-- This Spaghetti and Clams recipe takes perfectly al-dente pasta and tosses it with tender cockles in a light wine sauce, topped with golden, lemony breadcrumbs that add just the right amount of crunch. This dish is both easy to make and elegant enough to serve for any occasion!

One of my favorite pasts recipes--this spaghetti and clams recipe is everything you need in a seafood pasta! The combination of garlic, shallots, and charred lemon creates layers of flavor that make this dish feel special without being fussy.
It's a little lemony, sweet, and garlicky with a hint of spice from the red pepper flakes and crunch from the bread crumbs.
I love to make this spaghetti and cockles recipe for dinner parties, date nights, or even just a casual weeknight dinner when I want something super delicious!
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How to Buy & Prep Clams
I know cooking with clams or cockles can sound intimidating, but it's much easier than it sounds! When buying clams, make sure that they smell fresh and briny, never fishy! They should be tightly closed or close when lightly tapped.
Clams are alive, so they need to be able to breathe when you store them in the fridge before cooking them. I like to cook them on the same day I buy them, but you can store them for one day in the fridge in a bowl with a damp towel on top.
Before cooking, be sure to soak them in cold salted water for at a minimum of 30 minutes (I usually let them soak for 2 hours), changing the water once or twice to remove all sand. If any of the clams are open, tap on them lightly to see if they close. If they do not close, throw them away. After you cook them in this spaghetti and clams recipe, if any of the clams do not open up after cooking, make sure to discard them as well.

Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this easy spaghetti and clams recipe:
- Butter: Butter to add some flavorful fat, which will be the foundation to start building flavor in this pasta
- Garlic & Shallot: I like to use a combination of garlic and shallot to lend a stronger savory garlic flavor and absolutely delicious aroma.
- Cockles: These small, sweet clams are the star of the show. They're slightly sweeter than regular clams and cook quickly. Make sure to soak and clean them well before cooking!
- Panko Breadcrumbs: These Japanese-style breadcrumbs stay crispier than regular breadcrumbs and create the perfect golden topping when toasted with butter, lemon zest, and parsley.
- Spaghetti: Usually clams are paired with linguini but I actually don't love linguini so I love using spaghetti in this instead! Fresh pappardelle is another favorite of mine but you can use any long pasta shape.
- Fresh Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley infuses a light, herby flavor.
- Lemon: Lemon zest added to the breadcrumbs adds an extra acidic and bright flavor, while the charred lemon juice added to the salt adds flavor without being too overpowering.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Add as much as you'd like to taste, depending on how much of a kick you want!
- Pinto Grigio: I used The Simple Grape Pinot Grigio, but you just need a dry, light white wine like pinto grigio or sauvignon blanc.
- Pasta Water: Don't forget to reserve some of your salted pasta cooking water! This is starchy than normal water and will help to thicken our brothy sauce.
- Salt: To taste! You can also add a scrunch of freshly ground black pepper if you'd like, too.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Spaghetti & Clams

Step 1: In a large pan over medium-low heat, add butter and panko bread crumbs. Toss to combine and season with salt. Continue stirring until toasted. Add ½ tablespoon lemon zest and a sprinkle of minced parsley. Toss to combine and set aside.

Step 2: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. add pasta and cook until slightly al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain the rest.

Step 3: In another large pan, add olive oil, diced garlic and diced shallot. Sauté until slightly softened and fragrant. Add parsley stems, red pepper flakes, pinot grigio, salt, and clams. Cover for 3-5 minutes until the clams start opening. Set aside the clams that have opened and toss any clams that haven't opened after a while. Remove the parsley stems.

Step 4: In the same pan, add the pasta, pasta water, parsley, and charred lemon juice. Gently toss to combine and season with salt as needed. Add in the clams and toss. Garnish with more parsley and lemon juice, as desired.

Top Tips
- Clean your cockles thoroughly! Soak them in cold salted water for at a minimum of 30 minutes, changing the water once or twice to remove all sand.
- Don't over cook the pasta. Since it'll continue cooking in the sauce, stop cooking when it's slightly firmer than al dente.
- Don't over cook the clams! Even more importantly, clams and cockles will get tough if they are over cooked. They're done as soon as they open!
Recipe Variations
- Clams - Instead of clams, you can opt for mussels in this recipe. Or, if you aren't a fan of either, you can use shrimp!
- Gluten-free - To make gluten-free spaghetti and clams, use your favorite gluten-free pasta instead!
- Alcohol-free - If you prefer not to cook with wine, you can substitute it with a seafood stock or chicken stock instead. I would add a bit more extra lemon juice in that case, though!
- Spice - If you are sensitive to spice, you can simply omit the red pepper flakes. If you love spicy food, add as much as you'd like to taste!

Storage
Spaghetti and clams is best enjoyed immediately! If you need to, you can keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Gently reheat on the stove with a spash of water to loosen up the sauce.
Store any leftover breadcrumbs separately in an airtight container at room temperature.
FAQs
Cut the lemon in half and place cut-side down in a hot skillet until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes!
They should be tightly closed (or close when tapped) and smell like the ocean – fresh and briny, never fishy. If they do not close when you tap on them or do not open when you cook them, toss them!
More Recipe to Try
- High Protein Spicy Vodka Pasta
- Vietnamese Garlic Noodles
- Microwave Steamed Eggs
- Beef Banh Mi
- 10 Minute Microwave Flan
Spaghetti and Clams
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 garlic cloves diced
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 lb cockles soaked, cleaned and drained
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 oz spaghetti or pasta of choice
- small bunch of parsley stems divided and leaves finely chopped
- 1 lemon charred, plus lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup Pinot Grigio I used The Simple Grape
- ½ cup pasta water
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large pan over medium-low heat, add butter and panko bread crumbs. Toss to combine and season with salt. Continue stirring until toasted. Add ½ tablespoon lemon zest and a sprinkle of minced parsley. Toss to combine and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. add pasta and cook until slightly al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
- In another large pan, add olive oil, diced garlic and diced shallot. Saute until slightly softened and fragrant. Add parsley stems, red pepper flakes, pinot grigio, salt, and clams. Cover for 3-5 minutes until the clams start opening. Set aside the clams that have opened and toss any clams that haven't opened after a while. Remove the parsley stems.
- In the same pan, add the pasta, pasta water, parsley, and charred lemon juice. Gently toss to combine and season with salt as needed. Add in the clams and toss. Garnish with more parsley and lemon juice, as desired.
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