Spaghetti with clams, pumpkin sauce, and mandarin mustard

Name: Spaghetti with clams, pumpkin sauce, and mandarin mustard
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Spaghetti 10.6 oz; Mandarin Mostarda 1 ½ tbsp; Mustard greens 0.3 tbsp; Clams 3.1 lbs; Water 4 ¼ cups; Coarse salt 1 tbsp; Extra virgin olive oil 7 ½ tbsp; Garlic (minced) ½ tsp; Parsley ½ tsp; Pumpkin (already cleaned) 1 cup; Leeks 1.75 oz; Extra virgin olive oil 3 ½ tbsp; Butter 3 ½ tbsp; Water 1 cup; Soy sauce low sodium 1.7 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Sunflower seed oil 7 tbsp; Parsley 1 cup; Water to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste

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Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 50 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Average
Note + soaking time for the clams (1 h) and resting in the fridge for the parsley oil (even overnight)

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Moreno Cedroni

Spaghetti with clams in the Marche region’s style is not your typical seafood pasta. Chef Moreno Cedroni takes it up a notch with pumpkin sauce and a splash of mandarin mustard. Seriously good. You’ll get why each bite feels like a flavor journey. Right off the bat, the tender clams and creamy pumpkin blend perfectly, offering those sweet and savory notes you rarely find. Marche, along Italy’s scenic Adriatic coast, is famed for seafood, but this one? It stands out with its creative flair. And the sauce? Spaghetti with clams cooked risotto-style means every strand soaks up the goodness, while the parsley oil gives it that fresh, herby kick.

The combo of pumpkin and shellfish is way better than you'd think—especially with the tangy mustard finishing it off. Here's the deal: What makes this spaghetti with clams unforgettable is its layering of flavors and textures. It feels special yet super approachable. The moist pasta, the silky sauce, and juicy clams play together like a dream. Not just pumpkin and seafood, but how the pumpkin pasta sauce mingles with the clams’ ocean vibes. Plus, the mandarin mustard? It’s a citrusy surprise.

Fans of clam pasta or anyone craving something different in autumn pasta dishes will find this version so so delightful. You know, even if you’re a die-hard spaghetti alle vongole fan, this dish shows off Italian cuisine's evolution—especially when chefs get creative with pasta sauces. Whether you’re into fancy techniques or just love a good golden spaghetti, this modern Marche favorite is sure to surprise in the best way. And look, it’s a great chat starter at dinner parties!

INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti 10.6 oz (300 g)

Mandarin Mostarda 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)

Mustard greens 0.3 tbsp (4 g)

For the Clams: Clams 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg); Water 4 ¼ cups (1 l); Coarse salt 1 tbsp (25 g); Extra virgin olive oil 7 ½ tbsp (100 g); Garlic ½ tsp (3 g) - (minced); Parsley ½ tsp (2 g)

For the Pumpkin Sauce: Pumpkin 1 cup (200 g) - (already cleaned); Leeks 1.75 oz (50 g); Extra virgin olive oil 3 ½ tbsp (50 g); Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g); Water 1 cup (250 g); Soy sauce 1.7 tbsp (25 g) - low sodium; Fine salt to taste

For the Parsley Oil: Sunflower seed oil 7 tbsp (100 g); Parsley 1 cup (100 g)

For Cooking the Pasta: Water to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Spaghetti with clams, pumpkin sauce, and mandarin mustard

To make the spaghetti with clams, pumpkin sauce, and mandarin mustard, start by preparing the parsley oil: pour the seed oil into a small saucepan 1 and heat it to a temperature of 212°F, then add the parsley, which you have previously washed and dried 2. Blanch the parsley for a few minutes, stirring constantly 3.

Blend everything for 30 seconds 4, then pour the resulting puree into a sieve lined with absorbent paper placed over a bowl 5. Let it drain in the refrigerator, even overnight: in this way, the vegetable water will settle at the bottom of the bowl while the parsley oil will drip drop by drop, remaining afloat 6. At the end of the recipe, you will need both the oil and the parsley paste left in the absorbent paper.

When the parsley oil is almost ready, you can focus on the clams: soak them in a liter of water and 25 g of salt for an hour 7. After this time, shake them in a bowl and check that there are no sand residues; if so, proceed again with soaking. After this time, start to gently sauté the chopped garlic with a drizzle of oil in a pan 8, then pour in another 100 g of extra virgin olive oil 9.

As soon as the garlic floats, add the clams 10, cover with the lid (preferably glass) 11, and cook over medium heat until they have all opened. At this point, remove the clams with a slotted spoon 12 to separate them from their cooking liquid.

Shell the clams and set them aside in a bowl 13. Pour the cooking liquid into another bowl, being careful to leave any residues in the pan, then add the chopped parsley 14, mix, and set aside 15.

Move on to the pumpkin sauce: peel the pumpkin 16 and cut 200 g of pulp into cubes 17, then clean the leek and thinly slice the white part 18.

In a pan, slowly melt the butter with the oil 19, then add the leek 20. Lower the heat, cover with the lid, and gently stew the leek for a few minutes 21.

At this point, add the pumpkin 22, then pour in the water 23 and soy sauce 34. Cover with the lid and cook for 20 minutes.

When the pumpkin is cooked, the weight of the contents of the pan should be 450 g 25. Transfer everything to a blender 26 and blend to obtain a smooth and homogeneous consistency 27. Adjust the pumpkin sauce with salt and set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and pour part of the clam cooking liquid into a pan 28. Meanwhile, heat unsalted water in another saucepan. Cook the spaghetti for 5 minutes 29, then transfer them to the pan 30.

Cook the spaghetti alternately with the clam liquid and the unsalted water, one ladle at a time 31. Taste occasionally to check the saltiness and adjust accordingly on which liquid to add. Finish cooking the pasta by adding a drizzle of oil. When you have obtained a nice creamy texture, toss the spaghetti off the heat and add the shelled clams 32. Add another small ladle of liquid and a dash of oil 33, and toss again to combine, always off the heat.

You are ready to plate: spread the mandarin mustard at the base 34, then cover with the pumpkin sauce 35 and place a nest of spaghetti with clams on top 36.

Brush the parsley paste around the cream and season with a few drops of parsley oil 37, then garnish with mustard leaves 38. Your spaghetti with clams, pumpkin sauce, and mandarin mustard is ready to be served 39!