The most beloved pasta dish of the summer is not only an icon of Neapolitan cuisine, it’s also a classic of many other seaside regions. It’s on the menu in almost every restaurant and is easy to cook at home. The ingredients are simple, but the contrasting flavors make it unique: there’s the sweetness of the pasta, the saltiness of the clams, the earthy tang of extra-virgin olive oil, and the aromatic notes from the parsley, garlic, pepper or chili pepper. The classic recipe is without tomato sauce, but some also prefer to add a few cherry tomatoes. So what are the best wines to pair it with? Surely young, still white wines, medium-bodied and with delicate aromas of fruit and flowers. Obviously Campania labels are well-suited with this dish of Campania origins, but there are other very well-suited wines as well. Here are our choices.
Costa d’Amalfi Ravello Selva delle Monache 2018 Ettore Sammarco
If we could choose only one wine to pair with spaghetti with clams, it would be this one. The white wines of the Amalfi Coast, with aromas of yellow fruit and flowers, a few notes of Mediterranean herbs and the right bit of tang, are ideal pairings. This one made with Biancolella and Falanghina grapes is delicate and delicious.
Irpinia Falanghina Demetra 2017 Antico Castello
Another regional pairing, this time made with only the Falanghina grape variety: an immediate and versatile white wine which pairs very well with shellfish pasta dishes thanks to its flavor and balance.
Melissa Bianco Asylia 2018 Librandi
From Calabria, this is an easy, smooth and fragrant wine. Its tangy flavor enlivened by light vegetable notes goes perfectly with the iodized character of the clams and the aromatic notes of the parsley. Serve it well-chilled.
Etna Bianco Mofete 2018 Palmento Costanzo
The volcano gives this white wine made with Carricante and Catarratto grapes delicious aromas of ripe yellow fruit and flowers such as broom. In the mouth it’s both salty and citrusy, simultaneously easy to drink and elegant.
Verdicchio di Matelica Villa Marilla 2017 Marco Gatti
This wine is at once grand and to the point, thanks to its ability to unite body and freshness, with pleasant aromas of white fruits as well as vegetable and balsamic notes reminiscent of wild fennel and anise.
Maremma Toscana Vermentino Litorale 2018 Val delle Rose
Already with its label featuring three colored sun loungers, this wine speaks of the sea and vacations. With generous aromas of fruit including white peach and pineapple, it’s excellent with spaghetti with clams, but also with a more elaborate pasta dish with mixed seafood.
Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto Superiore Zigant 2017 Lodi Corazza
This wine features intense aromas of ripe fruit and sips lightly. It’s produced in a very well-suited area in the hills of Bologna. Despite the body, it maintains a wonderful freshness and is quite pleasant.
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry Cuvèe 1926 Valdo
Sparkling wine with spaghetti with clams, why not? The fruity and soft fragrance of a Prosecco Superiore creates a nice contrast with the sea flavor of the clams.
Franciacorta Vintage Collection Satèn Ca’ del Bosco
Pure Chardonnay and silky bubbles go well with the sweet taste of the pasta and clean the mouth of the condiment’s rich olive oil.
Riviera del Garda Classico Chiaretto San Donino 2018 Selva Capuzza
If the recipe calls for the addition of tomatoes, it’s best paired with a rose wine, a delicate and salty one like those produced near Lake Garda. The Chiaretto di Selva Capuzza is very well paired, also for its enticing citrus aromas.