Fegola di Sardinia – Sardinian Pasta
Fregola con vongole is a traditional Sardinian dish that dates back to the 10th century, originating from the island’s rich culinary heritage. Fregola, a unique type of small, round pasta that is toasted to give it a nutty flavor, and can be prepared with clams, scallops, shrimp, or sausage and also seasonal vegetables. Fregola is one of Sardinia's beloved recipe and is easy to make. Start with a generous swirl of olive oil and garlic, add the tomato sauce, fish, meat or vegetables, then slowly add the broth while stirring and with a little patience you will be enjoying this healthy recipe.
Ingredients
Instructions
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To prepare the fregola with clams, start by cleaning the latter. The first thing to do is to beat them one by one to make sure they are not full of sand: if so, they will open during shot.
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After that they must be left to soak for a couple of hours in fresh and salted water, in this way they will eliminate the sand contained inside.
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After the time has elapsed, drain them, and rinse them; if you notice any broken or open clams, discard them.
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Move to the stove and put a large pan on the stove. Heat a drizzle of oil and a clove of peeled garlic.
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Dip the clams and pour in the white wine and cover with the lid. Raise the temperature to maximum and let them open for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time.
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Once ready, drain them by filtering them in a fine-mesh strainer, or possibly through sterile gauze, to remove any residue of sand or shells. As soon as you notice the garlic clove, discard it.
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Keep half of the clams whole, for decoration, the other half instead shell them. Set aside the clams and cooking liquid and continue with the bottom in which to cook the fregola.
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Put a saucepan on the stove, pour a drizzle of oil and heat together with another clove of peeled garlic. As soon as the bottom is hot, remove the garlic and dip the finely chopped peeled tomatoes.
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Let it flavor over medium heat for a couple of minutes 14 and then add the fregola. Stir and wet, as you do for rice, adding the cooking liquid of the clams one ladle at a time. If the liquid is not enough, add warm water or vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper, then stir. When there is one minute left to the end of cooking, add the clams and stir.
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Finally, turn off the stove and add the chopped parsley. Here is your fregola with clams, you just have to mix more, serve and garnish with a pinch of pepper.