XO pasta with pipis

If you're a spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams) fan, you'll want to try this Aussie take: briny pipis, sweet cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs brought together by umami-rich and spicy XO sauce.

XO pasta with pipis Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 450 g casarecce pasta
• 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 spring onions, chopped, whites and greens separated
• 2 punnets cherry tomatoes
• ¼ cup XO sauce (see note)
• 1 large red chilli, chopped
• 1 kg live pipis, purged and rinsed well
• 1 cup basil leaves, chopped
• 1 cup chopped coriander leaves and stems

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until just under al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep, frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and spring onion whites and cook for further 2 minutes.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes, stirring constantly. When they start to burst, press down gently on them with a spatula and stir until a sauce is formed. Stir through XO sauce. You might want to add your XO gradually as it is very salty, keeping in mind that the pipis will be salty too. Stir through the chilli.
4. Add the pipis to the pan, stir to combine well, then cook just until the pipis open. Add the drained pasta and toss until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir through the basil and coriander and serve.

Note

• With XO sauce, you get what you paid for, so it's worth shelling out extra for the more expensive ones.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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