The Coast in a Bowl
Few plates say "southern Italy" as directly as spaghetti alle vongole. It is simple by design - clams, garlic, oil, a little heat - and it lives or dies on the quality of the shellfish. ALBA's version, served at the Amalfi-inspired Italian restaurant in Knightsbridge opposite Harrods, kept the classic intact and added one coastal flourish: a grating of bottarga. The dish has now left the menu. This is a record of how ALBA made it, and of what has taken its place among the coastal pastas.
How ALBA Made It
The dish stayed true to the Neapolitan original: clams opened in garlic, good olive oil and a hit of chilli, tossed through spaghetti with the clam liquor that gathers at the bottom of the pan - no cream anywhere near it, which is exactly how the coast makes it. The finishing touch was bottarga, cured fish roe grated over the top, which deepened the salinity and doubled down on the sea. The advice at the table was always to keep a little bread back for the broth at the bottom of the bowl, because that is where the flavour pooled.
The Coastal Pastas on the Menu Now
The vongole was one of the coastal pastas that anchor ALBA's seafood cooking: a mid-meal plate rather than a heavy finish, and a natural match for a bright southern-Italian white. That role on the menu now belongs to the pastas that have succeeded it - the lobster linguine among them - and the thinking behind all of them is set out in ALBA's coastal pasta guide. The current line-up is on the menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was ALBA's spaghetti alle vongole?
A classic Italian pasta of spaghetti with clams, garlic, olive oil and chilli. ALBA finished its version with bottarga - grated cured fish roe - for extra depth.
Did it have a tomato or cream sauce?
No. It was made in the traditional style - clams, garlic, oil and chilli, bound by the clams' own liquor, with no cream and no tomato.
What is bottarga?
Bottarga is cured, pressed fish roe, grated or shaved over a dish. It adds a concentrated, savoury saltiness - a hallmark of southern Italian and island cooking.
Is spaghetti alle vongole on the menu at ALBA?
No. It has left the menu. The coastal pastas ALBA serves now, the lobster linguine among them, are on the current menu.
Where is ALBA London?
At 70 Brompton Road, London SW3 1ER, directly opposite Harrods in Knightsbridge.
