Fregola with fish ragù

17/11/2023

Fregola with fish ragù is a traditional Sardinian dish that combines semolina wheat pasta with a tasty sauce of fish and seafood. Here’s how you can prepare it:

Ingredients

320 g of Sardinian fregola
500 g of mixed fish for stock (such as scorpionfish, gurnard, weever)
200 g of mixed seafood (such as squid, mussels, clams)
300 g of peeled tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 glass of white wine
Fish stock as needed
Extra virgin olive oil
Chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Start by preparing a broth with the mixed fish. Clean the fish well, put it in a pot with water, bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain the broth and set it aside.
Clean the seafood. For mussels and clams, let them purge in salted water to remove sand, then open them in a pan with a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic. Filter the released water and set it aside. Clean the squid and cut them into rings or strips.
In a large pan, lightly fry another clove of garlic in olive oil, add the squid and quickly brown them. Deglaze with the white wine and let it evaporate.
Add the crushed peeled tomatoes with a fork and cook for 10 minutes. Add the fish broth you have prepared and, if necessary, the filtered water from the mussels and clams. Season with salt and pepper and cook until done.
While the sauce is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fregola following the package instructions, but drain it al dente.
Add the fregola to the fish sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes so it absorbs the flavor of the ragù.
A few minutes before turning off the heat, add the seafood to the sauce.
Serve the fregola with fish ragù piping hot, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley.

Fun Fact

Fregola is a type of Sardinian pasta, similar to couscous but larger, that is toasted in the oven giving it a distinct flavor and slightly crunchy texture. It’s perfect for absorbing sauces and dressings, especially with seafood.

Enjoy this Sardinian cuisine delight!