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Home » Seafood » Fregola with Clams

Fregola with Clams

Published: Aug 21, 2018 · Modified: Mar 17, 2020 by Sabrina Russo

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Overhead shot of two light, rustic bowls of fregola pasta with clams surrounded by a glass of white wine and a neutral colored towel on a light, cream colored, textured plaster surface.

Fregola with Clams is a classic Italian dish you might be unfamiliar with. Think pasta and clams in a white sauce with a less than typical pasta shape.

Overhead shot of two light, rustic bowls of fregola pasta with clams surrounded by a glass of white wine and a neutral colored towel on a light, cream colored, textured plaster surface.

Overhead shot of raw clams on ice on a white plate on a light, cream colored, textured plaster surface.

A few things about fregola… It’s a pasta from the Italian island of Sardinia. It’s made by rubbing semolina flour and water together to form small round pellets. It’s then toasted in the oven which gives it its distinct nutty flavor. Fregola is great in soups, stews and even salads. It comes in different sizes and I went middle-of-the-road. The first time I had fregola was with my former Italian chef boss (no surprise there). He actually prepared the fregola with snails and a tomato-based sauce. It was perfect. And it made me want to eat more snails, which is really saying something. He mentioned fregola with clams is another traditional combination, so I had to try it for myself.

 Overhead shot of a pan of fregola pasta with clams surrounded by a neutral colored towel on a light, cream colored, textured plaster surface.

Overhead shot of two light, rustic bowls of fregola pasta with clams surrounded by a glass of white wine and a neutral colored towel on a light, cream colored, textured plaster surface.

The flavors in this fregola with clams very much echo those of linguine with clams. There’s garlic, white wine and an abundant amount of oil and butter. I also like to add red pepper flakes, lemon zest and a variety of herbs. This time around I used basil, parsley and tarragon, but mint and chives would work well too. Herbs are something you really don’t need to measure. Do the amount you like with what you like. Okay, enough talking. I just want to get my spoon into this buttery, briny, herbaceous  bowl of goodness.

3/4 angled shot of a light, rustic bowl of fregola pasta with clams surrounded by a glass of white wine and a neutral colored towel on a light, cream colored, textured plaster surface.

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Fregola with Clams


★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Sabrina Russo
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Low Lactose
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Description

Think pasta and clams with a couscous like pasta shape. Fregola with clams brings all the classic flavors you love, using a delicious, toasted dried pasta.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2lb (2 dozen) littleneck clams, scrubbed & soaked
  • 8oz (1 ½ cups) fregola
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 4 tbsp butter, sliced
  • ¼ cup basil, loosely packed, torn
  • ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped lemon peel*

Instructions

  1. Cook fregola: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. Add fregola and cook 6-8 minutes or until very al dente. Drain reserving a cup of cooking water. Set aside.
  2. Cook clams: While water comes to a boil, add oil, garlic and red pepper to a large pan. Warm over medium heat until garlic begins to sizzle. Add wine and reduce by half. Add clams, cover and cook about 4 minutes or until clams open. Remove clams and set aside.
  3. Create sauce and combine: Add fregola to pan with clam juices. Working over medium to medium high heat, add ½ cup of cooking water, or as needed, along with butter and toss until a thick, emulsified sauce forms. Stir in herbs and add back clams.
  4. Serve: Spoon fregola and clams into bowls. Top with chopped lemon peel and a drizzle of oil. Enjoy.

Notes

To prepare lemon peel, use a peeler to remove rind. Finely mince by slicing into long thin strips, and then chopping in the opposite direction. You may also zest lemon normally as an alternative.

If desired, you can substitute mint or chives for the suggested herbs, and use them in any combination or amount you prefer.

If you can’t find fregola and don’t want to purchase it online, substitute large couscous.

  • Category: Main
  • Method: Boil, steam, saute
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 of fregola & 6 clams
  • Calories: 670
  • Sugar: 0g
  • Sodium: 1370mg
  • Fat: 30g
  • Saturated Fat: 10g
  • Carbohydrates: 53g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 37g

Keywords: clams, pasta

Did you make this recipe?

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Overhead shot of two light, rustic bowls of fregola pasta with clams surrounded by a glass of white wine and a neutral colored towel on a light, cream colored, textured plaster surface.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paul Russo says

    September 28, 2019 at 8:34 am

    Linguine with clams is a favorite of mine. I’ll have to try it this way.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Cindy @ A Uniquely Edible Magic says

    August 27, 2018 at 8:17 pm

    “Herbs are something you really don’t need to measure”—couldn’t agree more! I’ve never had fregola and your recipe seems like the perfect place to start!

    Reply
    • sabrinarusso136@gmail.com says

      August 28, 2018 at 11:06 am

      Thanks so much, Cindy!

      Reply
  3. Mimi says

    August 24, 2018 at 10:41 am

    This is such a lovely dish. Fregola is so good – I need to visit Sardinia!

    Reply
    • sabrinarusso136@gmail.com says

      August 27, 2018 at 4:20 pm

      Thanks, Mimi! Me too! I’d love to travel there…

      Reply
  4. Savor the Best-Pat says

    August 23, 2018 at 2:55 pm

    Hey, Sabrina…this looks wonderful! I bet the flavor in the fregola is terrific! Love clams! 🙂

    Reply
    • sabrinarusso136@gmail.com says

      August 27, 2018 at 4:20 pm

      Thanks so much, Pat!

      Reply
  5. romain says

    August 21, 2018 at 8:43 pm

    I’ve never had fregola. Love linguine and clams so this one goes to the top of the list to try this weekend.

    Reply
    • sabrinarusso136@gmail.com says

      August 27, 2018 at 4:19 pm

      Nice!! I’m sure you’ll like it if you’re into linguine and clams 🙂

      Reply
  6. Kamini Kapoor says

    August 21, 2018 at 7:16 pm

    Oh this looks good. I can also do this with mussels and tomato broth.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • sabrinarusso136@gmail.com says

      August 21, 2018 at 7:35 pm

      Thanks! Definitely, that’s a great idea!

      Reply

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About Me

Hey, my name's Sabrina. I live in NYC and have professional work experience as both a dietitian and a cook. My time working for a top food photographer and chef helped make my blog what it is today. My Three Seasons is focused on seasonal ingredients, proper seasoning and cooking like a seasoned chef.
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