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Fish, Italy

Sardinian fregola with clams

Sardinian fregola with clams is an Italian dish for 4 people, ready in 40 minutes, rated easy, at about €4.20 per person. These toasted semolina pearls cook risotto style, with the broth added ladle by ladle, alongside clams, tomato and white wine. Success comes from a slow, stirred cooking that releases the starch while keeping a slight bite.

Set sail for Sardinia with fregola, little toasted semolina pearls that cook risotto style with clams and tomato.

Sardinian fregola with clams
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.20
Calories per person
530 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer

Sardinian fregola with clams smells like the sea the moment the cooking liquid meets the crushed tomatoes. The little toasted semolina pearls, browned before any liquid goes in, stay slightly firm under a creamy texture, almost like a seafood risotto. The clams bring their briny flavor without ever overpowering the dish, and raw garlic at the start wakes everything up.

It's a summer dish to make on an evening when you have a bit of time, or for a relaxed Sunday with friends around the table. Mon Chou loves this recipe because it needs few ingredients but steady attention, just like a real risotto. Count on it to impress guests without spending hours in the kitchen.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Sardinian fregolaoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 300 g
  • White wineoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Fish stockoften in the pantry 80 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fish counter

  • Clams 1 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Parsley 6 sprigs

Allergens Gluten, Mollusks

The step by step recipe

  1. Purge the clams in salted water, then open them covered in a pot with the white wine. 8 min

    Strain the clam liquid through a fine cloth, it holds sand you don't want in your fregola.

  2. Sauté the garlic in the oil and add the fregola to toast it for 2 minutes. 2 min

    Toast the fregola dry until it smells like toasted bread, it picks up a nutty flavor.

  3. Add the tomatoes, then the stock and the clam liquid, one ladle at a time. 15 min

    Stir often, the fregola releases its starch just like a risotto.

  4. Put the clams back into the fregola to warm them through. 2 min

    Keep about ten clams in their shells to garnish the plates.

  5. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve in shallow bowls.

    The fregola should stay slightly loose and creamy, add more stock if it dries out.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick clams that feel fresh, closed before cooking and open once cooked, discard any that don't open.
  • Pour the hot stock in one ladle at a time and wait for it to be absorbed before adding more, that's what gives the fregola its creamy texture.
  • Taste the fregola near the end of cooking, it should stay slightly firm to the bite, like al dente pasta.

The variations

  • Swap the clams for mussels, the cooking time and amounts stay the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the clams and fish stock, use vegetable stock instead and add diced zucchini.
  • For kids, blend the crushed tomatoes a bit and remove the shells, keeping only the shelled clam meat.

What to serve it with

  • A drizzle of raw olive oil on top
  • A lemony arugula salad
  • A glass of cold dry white wine

Storage

Fregola with clams keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It doesn't freeze well since clams turn rubbery. Reheat gently in a pot with a splash of stock or water to bring back its creamy texture.

Questions about this dish

Can you make Sardinian fregola with clams ahead of time?

It's best cooked right before serving, since it loses its creamy texture as it cools. You can purge and open the clams ahead though, then warm them through in the fregola at the last minute.

Can you use frozen clams?

Yes, frozen clams work fine in this recipe. Thaw them in the fridge first, then open them covered with the white wine just like fresh clams.

What exactly is fregola sarde?

It's a small Sardinian pasta shaped like pearls, made from durum wheat semolina toasted in the oven. That toasting step gives it a light nutty flavor you won't find in regular pasta.

What can replace fregola if I can't find it?

Israeli couscous or risoni work very well, using the same ladle by ladle cooking method. The flavor will be a bit less toasty, but the texture stays close.

How long does it take to make a Sardinian fregola with clams?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Sardinian fregola with clams?

About 530 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Sardinian fregola with clams cost?

About €4.20 per serving, or €16.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, mollusks. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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