Preparing Live Clams (or Mussels), and a Pasta Sauce for Them

I was making spaghetti with clams, in bianco -- in other words, without tomato. It's a quick, easy to prepare dish. I minced a handful of parsley with a large clove of garlic using a mezzaluna, the classic crescent-shaped knife Italians use for these tasks. If you have one, you might want to add a small seeded, ribbed hot pepper the herbs.