All Strings Considered - Aniello Desiderio

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In the latest All Strings Considered podcast Scott Wolf talks with Italian virtuoso guitarist Aniello Desiderio.

From Scott:

“Hear Italian virtuoso Aniello Desiderio play stunningly original interpretations of Albeñiz, Scarlatti, Carulli, Vivaldi, and even Paco de Lucía. Desiderio discusses the importance of finding one’s own voice as a performer, especially with regard to imagination, emotion, and sincerity. He passes on some valuable wisdom gained from his conversations with Leo Brouwer and cellist Mischa Maisky, he creates a distinction between playing concerts and playing in competitions, and he also expresses his admiration for the recently departed luminary of the guitar world, Paco de Lucía. Finally, Aniello gives us a lesson in authentic Italian cooking with his recipe for Spaghetti alle Vongole (Spaghetti with clams).”

And here’s that recipe:

Aniello’s Spaghetti alle Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)

Ingredientes

Fresh clams
Spaghetti or Vermicelli (about a pound)
You need a good quality olive oil (not necessarily extra virgin)
1 small Red Peperoncino minced (you can probably use crushed red pepper to taste if you can’t find this one)
1 garlic clove cut very thin
Parsley chopped for garnish
Parmesan cheese grated

Ready? OK, here we go:

Start your water boiling with a teaspoon of salt and add the spaghetti or vermicelli

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan at medium-high. When the olive oil begins to shimmer add garlic and cook until lightly browned, probably about 30 sec. Add clams and cover for about a minute. They will release a lot of water into the pan. Cook until water is reduced (probably by half but it depends on how much water was in the clams).

Add pasta and Peperoncino, and cook for about a minute on high heat, stirring all the ingredients together. Turn off heat and serve, top with parsley and parmesan.

Good luck!

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