Fregola with Eggplants

Fregola with eggplants is a delicious dish that combines the intense flavors of Sardinian cuisine with the Mediterranean ones of eggplants. Here is how you might prepare it, Italian recipe in my own way:

Ingredients

• 200 g of Sardinian fregola
• 2 medium eggplants
• 1 clove of garlic
• 250 ml of tomato puree
• Fresh basil to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Grated Sardinian pecorino cheese (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by washing the eggplants, remove the ends and cut them into cubes. Lightly salt them and let them rest in a colander for about 30 minutes to eliminate bitterness.
2. Rinse the eggplant cubes under running water and dry them by dabbing with a clean cloth.
3. In a large pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and brown the garlic until it is golden. Add the eggplants and cook until they are soft and lightly golden.
4. Remove the garlic and add the tomato puree to the pan with the eggplants, let it cook for about 10 minutes over low heat. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, cook the fregola in plenty of salted water following the timing on the package for al dente cooking.
6. Drain the fregola and transfer it to the pan with the eggplant and tomato sauce. Toss everything together for a couple of minutes to allow the fregola to absorb the flavors of the sauce.
7. With the heat off, add the hand-torn basil leaves and gently mix.
8. Serve hot with a sprinkling of grated Sardinian pecorino cheese, if desired.

Curiosity

Fregola is a type of pasta typical of Sardinia, often used in broth or with seafood-based sauces. Its rough texture and the ability to absorb flavors make it perfect also in combination with vegetables like eggplants. For an even richer variant, you could add crumbled sausage or anchovy fillets dissolved in the sauce to your fregola with eggplants.