The recipe

Cook 300g of broad beans in boiling water for 5-7 minutes until tender then drain. Slip the beans from their skins. Pod 150g peas.

Cook 150g of fettuccine in a deep saucepan of boiling water until tender then drain. Melt 20g of butter in a large pan. Peel and crush 2 cloves of garlic then add 700g of washed clams, the podded peas and 100ml of white vermouth, such as Noilly Prat. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil.

Let the clams cook for 3 minutes or until their shells are open. Remove the lid, add the drained fettuccine, the broad beans and 40g of butter. Chop a small bunch of parsley and add to the pan. Shake everything together and pile into dishes, then ladle the cooking liquor over and serve with bread. Enough for 2.

The trick

A fresh and healthy clam is usually tightly closed. If the shell is open, tap it firmly on the side of the sink. If it doesn’t close immediately, then discard it.

The twist

The recipe works equally well with mussels, too. In place of the broad beans I sometimes use French beans chopped into short lengths.

The Observer aims to publish recipes for sustainable fish rated as sustainable by the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide

Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@NigelSlater