Prepare the ingredients

• Rinse and purge the clams.
• Separate the parsley stems from the leaves and chop the leaves.
• Crush the garlic cloves and crush the spicy red pepper.

Boil the pasta water

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously; this is the only salt in the recipe.

Flavor the oil

• Melt the garlic in the olive oil over low heat with the parsley stems and the spicy red pepper.
• Cook until the garlic is golden.

Cook the clams

• Add the clams to the pan, cover and cook until they open, keeping them moist.
• Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.

Cook the spaghettoni

• Cook the spaghettoni in the salted boiling water until al dente.
• Reserve some of the starchy cooking water.

Cream the sauce

• Add the clam cooking water and a little pasta water to the pan with the oil.
• Stir to emulsify the starch with the oil into a creamy sauce.

Combine and serve

• Toss the drained spaghettoni in the pan with the clams and the cream.
• Add the chopped parsley leaves and serve immediately.