Today we bring to the table the fregula with clams and pumpkin, a creamy dish that I adore.
Fregula
Fregula or fregula is a type of pasta typical of Sardinia, made from durum wheat semolina, handcrafted and toasted in the oven.
It can have irregular crumb forms or regular spherical shapes [I adore the latter] and varies in size as small, medium, or large.
Fregula should be cooked like risotto.
Risotto Technique, Starch, and Glycemia
The technique of cooking pasta like risotto allows obtaining a tastier dish due to the starch released in the pan, resulting in a more enveloping sauce.
In the case of diabetes, to avoid excess starch, it is usually recommended to de-starch foods such as potatoes and rice; additionally, it is advised to cook pasta, rinse it under running water, and drain it before adding it to the sauce.
For this reason, we will cook the fregula like risotto in the clam broth, completing its cooking with boiling water to then rinse it and add it to the sauce prepared separately; this way, the starch released by the fregula in the cooking water is eliminated.
Remember to check your glycemic response!
I bought the veracious clams at the fish market; I cleaned and purged them, opened them in a pan without oil [which we will add at the end of cooking, strictly raw] and filtered the broth before proceeding to prepare the fregula.
For a tasty result, 500 g (17.64 oz) are needed for 2 people.
I added pumpkin in the form of light pumpkin velouté [which I had ready in the freezer] but if necessary, it is enough to boil and blend it.
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PUMPKIN AND DIABETES
Pumpkin glycemic index
All types of pumpkin → GI 75.
Besides the glycemic index, it is important to consider the glycemic load determined by the amount of food consumed.
Pumpkin has a high glycemic index but a low glycemic load.
Can people with diabetes eat pumpkin?
People with diabetes can eat pumpkin!
In cases of hyperglycemia, prediabetes, and diabetes, pumpkin can thus be consumed without exceeding portions.
The fregula with clams and pumpkin represents a balanced meal since it combines the characteristics that define a balanced dish in one course.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 160 g fregula (large)
- 500 g veracious clams
- water
- salt
- to taste light pumpkin velouté (or boiled and blended pumpkin)
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- 1 small glass white wine
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- to taste parsley (chopped)
- 1 drizzle extra-virgin olive oil (raw)
- 600 ml water
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Colander
- 1 Salad Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Pan with lid
- 1 Fine Mesh Strainer
- 1 Two-Ply Paper Towel
- 1 Spatula silicone
Preparation
Clean the pumpkin and follow the procedure described to prepare the light pumpkin velouté.
I used about 80-100 g (2.82-3.53 oz) of cleaned pulp.
Or, simply, add boiled and blended pumpkin.Remove any clams with broken and empty shells.
Wash each clam under running water to remove any impurities.
Tap each clam on a cutting board and discard any that release sand.
Transfer the cleaned clams to a colander.I used a salad bowl with a diameter of 26 cm (10.24 inches) [capacity 3.5 l] and added two tablespoons of fine salt to the water.
Fill a large salad bowl halfway with water, add the salt, and stir with a spoon.
Immerse the colander with the clams in the salad bowl of water and salt and add more water up to a few inches from the rim.
How long should clams be purged?
Clams should be purged for at least 2 hours.Extract the colander with the clams from the salad bowl.
Rinse the clams under running water.
Tap each clam on a cutting board and discard any that release sand.
Opening the Clams in a Pan
In a wide heated pan, brown a sprinkle of garlic powder.
Pour the clams into the pan.
Splash with a small glass of white wine.
Cover with a lid [preferably glass] and cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams are fully opened.
Filtering the Clam Broth
Remove the clams from their liquid and transfer them to a container.
Discard most of the shells.
Line a fine mesh strainer with a two-ply paper towel.
Place the strainer over a bowl and pour the clam liquid into it, allowing it to filter.
In a small pot, pour and bring to a boil at least 600 ml of water.
Pour the previously filtered clam liquid back into the pan and bring it to a boil.Cook the fregula for the time indicated on the package, stirring repeatedly with a silicone spatula, as if it were risotto.
Pour the fregula into the pan with the clam liquid.
Once the clam broth is absorbed, complete the cooking by adding one ladle of boiling water at a time and continue stirring with a silicone spatula.
Once the fregula is cooked, rinse it under running water and drain.
Pour the light pumpkin velouté into the pan and bring it to a boil.
Add the fregula and mix.
Add the clams and mix.
Grind the pepper.
With the heat off, add the parsley and oil, and mix.Plate the dish.
Your fregula with clams and pumpkin is ready.
Bon appétit!In Sicily, specifically in Ragusa, it’s not easy to find fregula, and buying it online incurs significant shipping costs.
I received it as a gift from a friend [thank you again, Jlenia], who found it exceptionally at Lidl, and later I purchased it at a Deco’ outlet in Tremestieri, Catania.
Notes
Remember:
• start your meal with a generous serving of vegetables [raw or cooked];
• a balanced meal should contain all nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats & fiber;
• always prepare it respecting the proportions and combinations indicated in your meal plan.
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