The Sardinian fregula, as explained many times here on the blog, is a type of pasta produced in Sardinia similar to couscous, but of a decidedly larger size! It is made from a dough of durum wheat and water, forming small irregular balls thanks to a particular circular motion with the hands. The most typical preparation made with this type of pasta is the fregula with local Sardinian clams, but in general, it is excellent with other fish-based condiments, and more! By rule, fregula, and not fregola as many call it, must always be cooked like a risotto, as my Sardinian friend Irene taught me! So stop boiling it like a regular type of pasta and follow this wise advice, preparing it like a risotto, and you’ll see the difference! Today I’ll therefore show you how to enjoy it with seafood, in my case with mussels and clams, but also with squid and shrimp it’s always a really tasty and fragrant first course! You’ll bring to the table in a few simple moves a succulent first course with great scenic effect. The only downside is cleaning the seafood, which certainly requires some attention, but the final result will be truly worth it!
If like me you love this type of pasta so much, here are some other ideas to get inspired from!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Slow cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Autumn
Ingredients
- 11 oz Sardinian fregula
- 1.1 lbs mussels
- 1.1 lbs clams (or local clams)
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 glass white wine
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch parsley
- to taste chili pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
⚠ IN THIS RECIPE THERE ARE ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything more!
- 1 Brush
- 1 Knife
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Pan
- 1 Lid
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Wooden spoon
Steps
First, proceed with the cleaning of the mollusks: wash the clams under running water and clean them thoroughly with a kitchen brush to remove any sand contained in the shell. Also rinse the mussels well, removing possible filaments, called byssus, with a quick motion using a knife, then scrape off any white incrustations that form on the shell and scrape the surface being careful not to break them.
In a non-stick pan, sauté a garlic clove with some extra virgin olive oil, a few parsley stalks, chili pepper, and two fingers of water, then pour in the mussels.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes, cover with a lid, and cook for about 7’-8’ or until the mollusks open.
Strain the cooking liquid with a sieve or colander and keep warm.
In the same pan where you cooked the mussels, sauté the second garlic clove together with the clams and a few more parsley stalks, then deglaze with white wine, raising the heat to evaporate the alcoholic part.
Add the cherry tomatoes, lower the heat, and cover with the lid.
Cook for about 6’ or until the mollusks open completely.
Proceed to strain the cooking liquid from the clams and set aside, keeping it warm.
In the same pan, toast the fregula for 1′-2′, then add some cherry tomatoes to flavor.
Lower the heat and add a ladle of hot vegetable broth little by little.
Stir continuously with a wooden spoon as you would for a risotto.
Midway through cooking, add the hot broth, always little by little, and let cook, continuing to stir.
A few minutes before the end of cooking, add all the seafood condiment, having removed the shells, keeping some whole aside for the final decoration of the dish.
Finish cooking and serve with some mollusks with the shell and a generous sprinkle of finely chopped parsley.
And voilà…your fregula with seafood is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 Fregula with seafood should be consumed immediately after preparation. However, you can store it in the fridge for a maximum of 1 day in a suitable refrigeration container.
👉 Fregula with seafood should be consumed immediately after preparation. However, you can store it in the fridge for a maximum of 1 day in a suitable refrigeration container.
Tips and Suggestions
🟣 For an even richer and more delicious version, anyone who wishes can also add squid or cuttlefish rings, or shrimp, according to your taste and availability.
🟣Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can use 250 g of tomato purée or 1 and ½ tablespoons of tomato concentrate dissolved with a ladle of hot broth.
🟣Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can use 250 g of tomato purée or 1 and ½ tablespoons of tomato concentrate dissolved with a ladle of hot broth.
