Fregola Sarda
Fregola Sarda
(freh-goh-lah sar-dah)
Toasted breadcrumb-like pasta from the island of Sardinia
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In its March 2006 issue, Health magazine praises fregola sarda for its healthful benefits. Says food editor Frances Largeman, "My new fave pasta...You get to indulge in fregola without the typical carb and calorie overload...It has a special kind of dietary fiber called resistant starch that helps maintain blood sugar and improves digestion...You might say I'm hooked on this classic and you will be too." Fregare means "to rub," and this fregola pasta is made by rubbing coarse semolina pasta and water together to create crumbs. The crumbs are then toasted, which imparts a rich, earthy flavor to the pasta. The pasta is cooked a little like rice, with an excessive amount of water that is allowed to evaporate during the cooking process. An authentic Sardinian recipe is included on the bag of pasta. |
Fregola and couscous are fine beads of semolina pasta. Yet many having discovered fregola pasta find they like it better, because after little bits of semolina wheat and water are rubbed together, the pasta is lightly toasted. This gives it a wonderful, nutlike flavor that couscous lacks. Even toasted Isreali Couscous is not the same at all.
Fregola is a rougher, grainier product than couscous and is primarily popular in Sardina and Sardiansd claim it as their invention. Yet the pasta is so similar to couscous that there are several theories fregola originated in the Middle East and then was picked up by the Sardinian people. It’s not common in all areas of Sardinia, and is seen mostly as a popular choice in the southern parts of the region.
In cooking, fregola pasta has many applications. It can be cooked as a side dish, similar to rice and topped with savory foods. There are recipes calling for fregola in dishes like risotto, pasta and beans, and as a substitute for couscous in tabouleh. You can add the pasta to soups like minestrone, or use it to stuff chicken. Further you could use fregola pasta as a morning breakfast grain, served as a hot cereal. Cooking fregola pasta, when it isn’t added to soups, is quite like cooking rice or couscous. After placing the pasta in boiling water, usually a measured amount, the pasta is covered and simmered at low heat. This allows it to absorb the water. Finished fregola doesn’t have leftover water because the semolina is so absorbent. One of the benefits of the pasta is how quickly it cooks. After you water has boiled, the pasta is usually done in about 10 minutes, which can certainly beat the cooking time of rice. The pasta is then fluffed with a fork to keep pieces from sticking together, and can be used in a variety of dishes. Try a little in green salads, in a pita, or cool it and mix it with yogurt. For a simple side dish, take warm fregola pasta, toss it with olive oil, and add a bit of chopped basil or parsley. It makes a great accompaniment in dishes, but its flavor also means fregola can stand alone as an attractive side or main dish.
It’s not easy to find fregola pasta in the US, and you may have to shop at International grocery stores or Italian delis to get it. Almost all brands are imported from and made in Italy. It is easy to find it online, and since dried pasta keeps well, you might want to stock up if you’re a fan of it. I buy mine at AG Ferarri http://agferrari.com/ as we have a storenearby that I love in Lafayette, CA.
Fregola is one of my favourite "pastas", it is toasted breadcrumb-like pasta from the island of Sardinia. The wonderful taosty flavour and great tecture make such a lovely background for seafood or as an addition to soups.
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Clean and devein prawns; save the shells. Add shells to 2.5 quarts of water with carrots, celery, onion, and salt. Boil for half an hour. Strain and set two quarts of broth aside; discard shells and vegetables. In a large pot, saute two shallots and fregola in olive oil for one minute. Add tomatoes and half of white wine, stir well and add reserved broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 13-15 minutes. In another pan, saute one shallot in olive oil, then add calamari, prawns, tuna, white fish, mussels and the remaining wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the fish and parsley to the fregola; stir well.Serve immediately drizzled with olive oil.
Serves 4 to 6. best price I have found is at MarketHall http://markethallfoods.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_mh_info&products_id=273 Fregola's origins are a little suspect, but it is believed that its roots lie in North Africa, where couscous is the primary starch in their cuisine. Fregola (sometimes called fregula or fregola sardo) is a small nugget of coarsely-textured pasta that is dried and then toasted, resulting in a nutty flavor with an uneven texture. We love to serve fregola en brodo (in broth), with shellfish or vegetables. Or try tossing cooked fregola with spicy tomato sauce and ventresca. Made from stone ground durum flour from hard winter wheat and pure spring water, Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta is the finest we've tasted. The dies through which the pasta is extruded date back the 1800's and lend a wonderful texture and coarseness to the noodle. This, plus the 56 hour drying process, create a wonderful, dense, chewy pasta that is wonderful with all of your favorite sauces. Serving Suggestions:Fregola Sarda with Clams From:Sardinia, Italy Size: 1.1 pounds Price: This is a classic Sardinian summer dish. Start by draining and rinsing the clams in fresh water. Drain clams, setting aside cooking liquid. Discard any unopened clams. Shell the clams, discarding the shells. Heat the rest of the olive oil, add the rest of the garlic, sauté 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano and sauté 3 minutes. Add the reserved clam cooking liquid, water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, add the fregola and cook approximately 12 minutes. Add the reserved clams and cook another 2 minutes. The fregola should have some “bite”. Adjust seasoning, drizzle with a little additional oil and serve. http://eatlikeagirl.com/2008/05/26/fregola-sarda-with-asparagus-heirloom-tomato-and-goats-curd/ Fregola con carciofi e bottarga (with artichokes) fregola con zucchine, feta e pesto di pistacchi |
Frigola and Calamari
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