Fregula are pasta blebs, for want of a better term, and are one of the standard Sardinian pasta shapes. Here you will want fairly fine fregula (bits a 16th of an inch, or 2 mm in diameter), which will work very well with clam sauce. Another option, though not at all Sardinian, would be to use cuscus.
Prep Time: 8 hours, 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/3 pound (150 g) fregula (substitute pasta bits if need be, or perhaps couscous)
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) live arselle (these are small hard-shell clams)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- 1 quart boiling water (some cooks use a dilute meat broth)
Preparation:
The night before you plan to make the dish, set a bucket of water in a cool place so the chlorine will have time to evaporate out. The next day you will want to begin by cleaning the clams: Lightly salt the water in the bucket and let them sit in it for several hours, during which they will expel whatever sand they have in their shells. Wash them under running water and set them in a large skillet; heat them through and remove them by had as they open, discarding the halves of the shells with no clam. Strain the juices in the pan and pour them over the clams. Note: if one of the clams does not open, do not eat it. It was already dead and could make you quite sick.
Next, sauté the garlic in the oil in a second pot, until it is lightly browned then discard the cloves. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for about ten minutes, then add the hot water and bring to a boil. Add the clams and their liqueur, the parsley, and once the soup comes back to a boil the fregula.
Cook until the fregula is al dente and serve.
The wine? A medium bodied white, for example a Vermentino.
Next, sauté the garlic in the oil in a second pot, until it is lightly browned then discard the cloves. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for about ten minutes, then add the hot water and bring to a boil. Add the clams and their liqueur, the parsley, and once the soup comes back to a boil the fregula.
Cook until the fregula is al dente and serve.
The wine? A medium bodied white, for example a Vermentino.
