Fregula with clams

Fregola con arselle

Fregula or fregola with clams Traditional recipe of Sardinia

yeld for 4

1 kg (2.2 lb) clams in the shell
200 g (7 oz) fregola (Sardinian pasta)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves
A bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Time:
preparation: 20 minutes
plus time for cleaning clams
cooking: 30 minutes
Difficulty:
easy recipe
Nutrition Facts (amount per serving):
Calories: XX (kCal) - XX (kJ)
Protein: XX (g)
Total fat: XX (g)
Total carbohydrate: XX (g)
Sugars: XX (g)

fregola whith clams, the molluscs are in their shells and tomatoes are fresh and cut into pieces

zoom »

Fregula with clams (in Italian "fregola con arselle" or in Sardinian language "fregula cun cocciula") is a typical recipe of Sardinia. You can find it in every restaurant in the island but there are a lot of versions.
Somebody cooks it with fresh chopped tomatoes, other people prefer pureed or dried tomatoes. Someone serves it with clams still in their shells, other remove the molluscs from their shells. We prefer this second solution as you can see in the photo above. But if you prefer the first solution look at the photo nearby.
The ingredients of this authentic Sardinian dish are: fregola (a typical pasta of Sardinia formed by irregular spheres, look at the photo below), clams (in Sardinia called arselle), tomatoes, parsley and extra virgin olive oil.
Here's the recipe!

Clean the clams. In Italy we have the habit of keeping the clams in cold salt water (1 tablespoon of salt per liter of water) for at least 2 hours to remove the sand. Why this? Clams live in the sediment and so they are often full of sand and it's necessary to let them release it. Generally I keep them in water for 6 hours changing the water every 2 hours for the best result.

Let the shells opens. Transfer the clams together with a bit of water in a large pan. Cook on high heat, covered, for few minutes, stirring now and then, until the shells open. I recommend ... you need only few minutes. Then remove the clams and put apart letting them cool.
If there are some clams not open put them in the pan again and repeat the step. At this time discard the clams not open.
Free the clams from their shell and put apart.
Filter the liquid left in the pan through a cotton cloth to remove all traces of sand and put apart.

industrial raw fregola or fregula, Sardinian pasta

zoom »

Prepare the soup. Sautè the garlic in the olive oil using a lage pan. Remove the garlic and add the tomato paste, 800 ml water and the liquid you have filtered just before. Bring to the boil, drop slowly the fregola and clams, stir and bring to the boil again. Lower the heat and cook for 8-10 minues, stirring now and then.
Keep some water boiling and add to the soup if necessary. You must have a soup as you can see in the photo.
Taste for salt some minutes before the end of cooking. Add the parsley a minute before switching off the gas.
Serve at once.

Note

- Fregola with clams must be a bit soupy and so you have to serve it at once for it becomes too thick in few minutes. On the contrary you can switch off the gas when fregola is al dente stage and the soup is more watery and let it cool.
- Don't cook the clams for more than 10 minutes, they become hard.
- Tip for people who don't like garlic: sautè a shallot finely chopped or add some fresh chives to the soup.
- If you have no time to clean the clams use frozen precooked clams. In this case let them thaw at room temperature, add the preserving liquid to the pan together with the water as we have just described above and add the clams 2 to 3 minutes before switching off the gas. The doses are 200 g (7 oz) of shelled clams.
- Fregola with clams is a typical Italian soup you can make for your family or choose for a special occasion menu. In the second case the doses are enough for more people if you prepare a lot of dishes.
- How to serve clams. As you can see in the photo we serve the clams without shell. It's better for your guests that don't dirty their hands. It's always unpleasant to touch the shells greasy and with traces of tomato or removing the molluscs with the fork (really embarassing) in formal events. Besides you should put a little bowl full of scented water and a little napkin near the plate.

Healthy eating

- Remember: serving size of fregola is about 1/2 C (50 g - 1 3/4 oz)
- This is our version of the traditional Sardinian recipe. In fact we use only 2 tablespoons olive oil. The original recipe suggests half a glass or a glass of olive oil: too much fat. Following our tips you can add other fish courses to your meal.
Besides we use only 2 tablespoons tomato paste. On the contrary the original recipe suggests 4 tablespoons.

What's the right wine ?

Serve a good-quality white wine. Our tip is to choose a Sardinian white wine such as Nuragus of Cagliari. We use Roero Arneis too (white wine of Piedmont) or a rosè wine. If you like red wine you can match a young red wine.