Rinse the clams several times under running water, with the help of a bowl or a colander, but not allowing them to soak. Continue until there is no sand left at the bottom.

To a non-stick frying pan, add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 3 cloves of garlic. Let heat for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add clams and cover. The heat will cause the clams to open up. After 3–4 minutes, the clams will open. If you find that many of them are still closed, you can continue to cook for a couple more minutes.

After this time, you must throw the clams that remain closed, because they are dead and no good. Don't open them, because they will make the sauce more bitter, and don't prolong cooking any longer because you risk messing things up.

Place the clams in a colander, and let them cool. Meanwhile, bring spaghetti water to a boil in a large saucepan.

Collect the liquid that the clams have released into a saucepan, strain it with a very fine cotton cloth or a tight-mesh strainer, such as a tea strainer, to remove any dirt and grit. This is an important step because the liquid that the clams secrete is very tasty and will season any pasta well.

Clean the clams under plenty of running water to remove any remaining sand.

At this point, the spaghetti water will boil. Add some salt, wait until it boils again, and add the spaghetti. Cook according to package instructions. Note that you will need to drain them 2 minutes before the “al dente” time.

While the spaghetti is cooking, take the open clams out of the shells, and set a few with the shells aside to garnish the dish.

In the pan where you cooked the clams, add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, chopped parsley, and cleaned clams. Cook for 2 minutes over high heat, stirring frequently.

Pour in the white wine and continue to cook for a few more minutes, then turn off the heat and set the clams aside with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid in the pot again.

Add the clam sauce you strained to the pot and turn the stove back on.

2 minutes before “al dente” indicated on the package, drain the spaghetti with a large fork and place them directly in the pan with the sauce. Reserve cooking water because you will need it to finish cooking pasta like risotto.

Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce by adding cooking water if required, a little at a time, and a tablespoon of extra virgin oil if you like.

Finally, add the clams and cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.

Serve the spaghetti with clams immediately, garnished with the clams you have set aside and, if you like, some chopped parsley.