Recipe Fregola with clams/Sardinian dish

MypinchofItaly

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Fregola is a typical Sardinian semolina's pasta.
Fregola con arselle.jpg


Serves 2 , Preparation time 1 hour (if use fresh clams) and 20 minutes, Cooking time 30 minutes

  • 180 g. of Fregola
  • 500 g. of small fresh clams (you can also use frozen clams)
  • 1 lt. of fish stock made by some broth fishes (or use clams cooking water)
  • 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 200 g. of peeled or fresh tomatoes for sauce
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • a glass of dry white wine
  • 1 little chili pepper
  • a bunch of parsley

Method

Prepare the fish stock by using small fishes of different quality (or you can use then the cooking water of the clams).

If you use fresh clams, place them in a bowl with a lot of cold salted water for at least one hour to flush out the sand and some eventual impurities. I suggest you change it occasionally.

In the meantime, put a large frying pan to heat, then add 2 tablespoons of EVOO and 2 garlic cloves and add a little chili (fregola doesn't have to be too spicy) and then add tomatoes (cutted if you use fresh tomatoes) and a sprinkle of minced fresh parsley and stir. Let cook for about 10 minutes and then turn off the flame and remove the garlic.

Let's go back to the clams. As soon as one hour has passed, drain them with and all their soaking water. Give the last wash under the running water, maybe putting them in a colander will be more comfortable. In another capacious frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of EVOO, and pour into the frying pan all the clams. Raise the heat, add the white wine, cover with a lid and wait for about 5 minutes the clams to open. Those that remain closed, throw them off!

Now let them cool so that you can shell out without burning. Hold some clams with their shells to garnish the dishes.

Decant the liquid and keep it aside.

Heat the frying pan again with tomato sauce, combine the Fregola and combine also some of the cooking water of clams, little at a time, as if you should make a risotto and stir. Don't add other salt, clams are already salted.

The Fregola should soften in about 10 to 15 minutes (depends on the type you use, if homemade or ready one, in any case a tip: always taste it!)

As soon as the Fregola is ready, sprinkle with a little chopped parsley and serve up.
 
Fregola is a typical Sardinian semolina's pasta.
View attachment 8154

Serves 2 , Preparation time 1 hour (if use fresh clams) and 20 minutes, Cooking time 30 minutes

  • 180 g. of Fregola
  • 500 g. of small fresh clams (you can also use frozen clams)
  • 1 lt. of fish stock made by some broth fishes (or use clams cooking water)
  • 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 200 g. of peeled or fresh tomatoes for sauce
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • a glass of dry white wine
  • 1 little chili pepper
  • a bunch of parsley

Method

Prepare the fish stock by using small fishes of different quality (or you can use then the cooking water of the clams).

If you use fresh clams, place them in a bowl with a lot of cold salted water for at least one hour to flush out the sand and some eventual impurities. I suggest you change it occasionally.

In the meantime, put a large frying pan to heat, then add 2 tablespoons of EVOO and 2 garlic cloves and add a little chili (fregola doesn't have to be too spicy) and then add tomatoes (cutted if you use fresh tomatoes) and a sprinkle of minced fresh parsley and stir. Let cook for about 10 minutes and then turn off the flame and remove the garlic.

Let's go back to the clams. As soon as one hour has passed, drain them with and all their soaking water. Give the last wash under the running water, maybe putting them in a colander will be more comfortable. In another capacious frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of EVOO, and pour into the frying pan all the clams. Raise the heat, add the white wine, cover with a lid and wait for about 5 minutes the clams to open. Those that remain closed, throw them off!

Now let them cool so that you can shell out without burning. Hold some clams with their shells to garnish the dishes.

Decant the liquid and keep it aside.

Heat the frying pan again with tomato sauce, combine the Fregola and combine also some of the cooking water of clams, little at a time, as if you should make a risotto and stir. Don't add other salt, clams are already salted.

The Fregola should soften in about 10 to 15 minutes (depends on the type you use, if homemade or ready one, in any case a tip: always taste it!)

As soon as the Fregola is ready, sprinkle with a little chopped parsley and serve up.

@MypinchofItaly,

Truly marvelous ..
 
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Thank you dear..I really love this dish.
Sometimes my relatives in Sardegna add also some slices of fresh bottarga (not the powder) and is more delicious.
Do you have bottarga in Spain?

@MypinchofItaly

Yes, Bottarga which is cured fish roe from the blue fin tuna is called Botarga in Catalan & Spanish .. Yes, I can get this from the Main Market of Barcelona, Le Mercat de La Boqueria in The Bari Goti historic district ..

I have this récipe on my list !

Thanks again and have a lovely day ..
 
@MypinchofItaly

Yes, Bottarga which is cured fish roe from the blue fin tuna is called Botarga in Catalan & Spanish .. Yes, I can get this from the Main Market of Barcelona, Le Mercat de La Boqueria in The Bari Goti historic district ..

I have this récipe on my list !

Thanks again and have a lovely day ..

Now I remember that Alghero is a sardinian/catalan City. The citizens feel themselves more catalan than sardinian
 
Now I remember that Alghero is a sardinian/catalan City. The citizens feel themselves more catalan than sardinian


Yes, we have had quite a relationship historically with Sardinia, Sicily and Naples too .. I just finished a historical article called The King of Spain & Napoli ..

We are cousins !

Have a lovely day ..
 
Beautiful preparation, and very good tips for how to handle the clams. Whenever I get shellfish, I tap each one with my fingernail to see how they react. If the shells close, then they're still alive, and so can be cooked. If they don't respond, then they're already dead, and need to be thrown out. But, I didn't have a good way to clear the sand out of them...until I saw your recipe. Thanks!
 
Beautiful preparation, and very good tips for how to handle the clams. Whenever I get shellfish, I tap each one with my fingernail to see how they react. If the shells close, then they're still alive, and so can be cooked. If they don't respond, then they're already dead, and need to be thrown out. But, I didn't have a good way to clear the sand out of them...until I saw your recipe. Thanks!

This is the most classic way to clean clams or mussels .. in cold water for at least an hour, an hour and a quarter, with salt..changing the water at least a couple of times. Glad is useful to you.
 
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