Fregula con Vongole · Fregula con le Arselle
Sardinia · pasta · serves 4 · 50 min total · medium
Fregula is Sardinian toasted semolina pearls — bigger than couscous, smaller than pasta. Cooked like a risotto with the bay's shellfish.
Ingredients
- 300 g fregula sarda (medium-toasted)
- 1000 g small clams
- 300 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 chilli red chilli
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 L light fish stock
Method
- Purge clams in salted water 1 hour, lift out carefully (sand stays at the bottom).
- Warm olive oil with sliced garlic and chilli. Add clams and wine. Cover, cook 4 minutes until shells open. Discard any closed.
- Strain liquid through muslin (sand-free). Shell half the clams, keep the rest in shells.
- In the same pan, fry tomatoes 2 minutes. Add fregula and toast 1 minute.
- Pour in the clam liquid and warm fish stock to cover. Cook risotto-style 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more stock as it absorbs.
- Return all clams. Stir in parsley. Off heat, drizzle olive oil. Plate.