Bucatini With Clams And Wild Fennel

Preparation:

Preparation: Immerse the clams in a bowl with cold water for a few hours. Peel the garlic, wash the parsley and the fennel; cut the lemon peel into strips. Drain the clams, put them in a pan, add the garlic, a sprig of parsley and the wine; let them open over moderate heat and with the pan covered, shaking the container from time to time. Remove it from the heat, remove the molluscs from the shells (keep aside some clams with their shells) and collect them in a bowl; strain the cooking liquid and keep it aside. Bring plenty of water to the boil in a saucepan, add salt and cook the pasta; five minutes before the end of cooking, add the chopped fennel and the strips of lemon peel. Saute the peeled and finely chopped onion in a pan with the oil, without letting it brown; add the clams (even those in their shells), add the filtered cooking liquid and heat everything up. Drain the pasta al dente, pour it into the pan with the clams and let it flavour; sprinkle it with the remaining parsley, washed and chopped.