By Martino Ragusa

Ingredients for 4 people
240 g of vermicelli
1 kg of clams
2 sprigs of parsley
2 cloves of garlic
4 tomatoes
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper of reel or mortar
Salt only for the water

Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, peel and cut into quarters. Purge the clams from the sand putting them to soak in water and salt for at least 3 hours. Best if you can do this operation in seawater. A good move is to beat a few times on each clam a cutting board by holding it with two fingers with the rhyme opening down. Then let them open in a covered pan with a clove of garlic and a sprig of parsley. When clams are opened take the flesh and throw away the shells.
Strain the clams liquid through a sieve lined with a wet napkin and keep aside.
Sauté the garlic in hot oil along with tomato fillets. When the garlic start to brown, add the clams, 4 tablespoons of their filterd liquid and let reduce for a minute.
Remove the garlic and pepper generously.
Add the spaghetti and a sprig of finely chopped parsley while stir.