In Sardinia, the home of fregola sarda, this tiny toasted pasta is traditionally paired with briny clams, white wine and tomatoes in a flavorful broth, perfect for sopping up with grilled bread. This classic recipe makes the most of simple ingredients, and the chewy texture of our Fregola Sarda.
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients
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1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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3 Cloves Garlic, minced
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2 Cups Roma Tomatoes, diced
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1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
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1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Peppercorns Dustless
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1 Cup White Wine
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48 Littleneck Clams, scrubbed and rinsed
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4 Cups Chicken Stock
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2 Cups Medium Fregola Sarda
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2 Tablespoons Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped, for garnish
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1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, torn and loosely packed, for garnish
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Toasted Or Grilled Bread, to serve
Directions
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Heat olive oil in large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Cook until garlic and tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes.
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Add wine, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, until reduced.
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Working in batches, place clams in single layer on top of tomato mixture and cover tightly. Cook over medium-high heat until clams open and release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. As they open, scoop out clams into large bowl. Repeat with remaining batches, if necessary.
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Once all clams are cooked, add chicken stock to tomato mixture in pot, and bring to a boil. Add fregola sarda. Return to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fregola sarda is tender to the bite (about 15-20 minutes).
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Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (use restraint with salt, as clam liquid is naturally salty).
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Briefly add clams back into pot to reheat, then spoon fregola, clams and broth into shallow bowls to serve. Garnish with chopped parsley and torn basil.
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Serve immediately with toasted or grilled bread.