Spaghetti alle vongole
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Spaghetti alle vongole is the simplest seafood pasta in Naples: clams opened in a pan with olive oil, garlic, a little chili and parsley, tossed with spaghetti so the pasta finishes cooking in the clam juices. In Naples you will find it two ways, in bianco with no tomato, and with a few cherry tomatoes that turn the sauce pink. Neither is wrong.
We are not printing a 2026 price, because we could not find one. None of the Naples menus we could read online on September 30, 2026 listed the dish with a price: Umberto in Chiaia has "spaghetti alle vongole veraci" on its website, but not on its June 2026 menu PDF. As a guide, that menu prices its other seafood pastas at €16 (paccheri with baby octopus) and €21 (scialatielli with mussels).
At a glance
- What it is
- Spaghetti (or vermicelli, in older Neapolitan recipes) tossed with clams opened in the pan with garlic, olive oil, chili and parsley.
- Two versions
- In bianco: no tomato. Rosso: with a handful of cherry tomatoes. Both are correct in Naples.
- The clam
- Vongole veraci are the larger clams with two short siphons; lupini are smaller and cheaper. Menus usually say which.
- Price
- We found no Naples menu published online in 2026 with a price for this dish. As a reference, Umberto in Chiaia prices its seafood pastas at €16–€21 (June 2026).
- When
- All year in restaurants; the Christmas Eve dinner is its traditional moment at home.
In this guide
In bianco or with tomatoes?
- In bianco lets you taste the clams: the sauce is their juice, oil and garlic, thickened by the starch of the pasta. This is the version most restaurants mean by default.
- Con pomodorini adds a few cherry tomatoes, often piennolo tomatoes from the slopes of Vesuvius. Sweeter, more color.
- "Vongole fujute", "escaped clams", is the old joke version: the same sauce with no clams at all. If you see it on a menu, it is a tribute, not a mistake.
What to ask before you order
- "Sono veraci?" Are they vongole veraci? The larger, meatier clam. Cheaper menus may use smaller clams or a mix.
- "Sono fresche?" Are they fresh? Menus in Italy usually mark frozen ingredients with an asterisk and a note at the bottom. Read it.
- "Quanto costa?" If the dish is not priced, or priced "per etto" (per 100 g), ask before you order.
How to eat it
- Use the fork to pull the clam out of its shell, then drop the empty shell in the bowl provided.
- No grated cheese. Nobody will stop you, but you will be looked at.
- Bread is for the sauce at the bottom (the scarpetta).
- Pair it with a Campanian white: the Vesuvius wineries on our wine tasting page make Lacryma Christi bianco and Falanghina.
Where to look for it
Seafood pasta is best by the water, but the seafront is also where prices climb. The restaurants around Borgo Marinari under Castel dell'Ovo and in Posillipo and Marechiaro are the seafood addresses most visitors meet, and prices there run high; in Chiaia, Umberto (Via Alabardieri 30/31) lists it. Our restaurant shortlist names the places we would book. It is also a classic of the Christmas Eve dinner at home; see our Christmas page.
Frequently asked questions
How much is spaghetti alle vongole in Naples?
We found no Naples restaurant menu online with a 2026 price for the dish. For reference, Umberto in Chiaia prices its other seafood pastas at €16–€21 on its June 2026 menu. Ask before ordering if it is not priced.
Is spaghetti alle vongole made with tomato in Naples?
Both ways. In bianco (no tomato) is the default; many places also offer it with a few cherry tomatoes.
What are vongole veraci?
The larger, meatier clams preferred for this dish. Smaller clams are cheaper and sometimes used instead; the menu should say which.
Should I add parmesan?
No. Cheese on seafood pasta is not done in Naples, and it hides the clams.
How do I know if the clams are frozen?
Look for an asterisk next to the dish and the note at the bottom of the menu, which is how Italian menus usually flag frozen products. If in doubt, ask 'sono fresche?'
Further reading
Official sources
- Umberto - website (official) – Lists spaghetti alle vongole veraci among its dishes; Via Alabardieri 30/31; checked September 30, 2026
- Umberto - menu June 2026 (official PDF) – Vongole not priced on the PDF; paccheri with baby octopus €16; scialatielli with mussels €21
- Cantina del Vesuvio - tastings (official) – Vesuvio Lacryma Christi DOC wines from the slopes of Vesuvius
