- 3 tablespoons Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Filippo Berio Olive Oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 1 pinch saffron
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, plus
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 pound dried long fusilli
- 36 littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed
- 2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced, divided
- Set a covered large pot of water over high heat.
- In a large saute pan, warm the oil over low heat. Add the onion, fennel, and saffron. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the wine. Increase the heat to high and boil about 4 minutes, or until the mixture no longer smells of alcohol. Add the tomatoes and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Decrease the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened.
- When the water boils, add 1 tablespoon salt and the fusilli. Stir. Cover and return to the boil. Uncover and boil, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the fusilli and return to the pot.
- Meanwhile, add the clams and 1 chile to the saute pan. Cover and turn the heat to high. Cook about 8 minutes, or until the clams open. Discard any unopened clams. Add the clam sauce to the fusilli. Toss, adding small amounts of the reserved cooking water, if needed, to loosen the sauce and coat the fusilli. Pass the remaining chile at the table.