Fregola with portobello mushrooms

Fregola is a traditional type of pasta from Sardinia, very similar to couscous but toasted, pairing very well with mushrooms. Italian ingredients like fregola marry perfectly with the earthy flavors of Portobello mushrooms. Here’s how to prepare Fregola with Portobello Mushrooms:

Ingredients

• 250 g of Sardinian fregola
• 300 g of Portobello mushrooms
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 small onion
• Fresh parsley to taste
• Vegetable broth (about 1 liter, more or less may be needed depending on the fregola’s absorption)
• 100 ml of dry white wine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Butter (optional, to cream)

Preparation

1. Clean the Portobello mushrooms with a damp cloth, remove the stems, and slice them or dice them according to your preference.

2. Finely chop the onion and garlic. In a large skillet, sauté them in extra virgin olive oil until they become translucent.

3. Add the chopped Portobello mushrooms and let them sauté until they have released all their water and started to brown.

4. Pour in the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate on high heat.

5. Add the fregola to the skillet with the mushrooms, lightly toasting it with the other ingredients for a couple of minutes.

6. Begin to add hot vegetable broth little by little, as you would for a risotto, allowing the fregola to absorb it before adding more broth.

7. Continue cooking, adding broth each time the previous amount has been absorbed, until the fregola is cooked yet still al dente. This should take about 15-20 minutes, but check the package instructions for more accurate times.

8. At the end of cooking, you can decide whether to cream the dish with a bit of butter and/or Parmesan cheese to make it creamier.

9. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, add chopped fresh parsley, and serve hot.

Curiosity

Fregola has very ancient origins and was traditionally baked in the oven after boiling, a process that gives it that typical toasted flavor. This dish exemplifies how non-traditionally Italian ingredients, such as Portobello mushrooms, which are a mature variety of Agaricus bisporus native to Europe and North America, can beautifully integrate into Italian cuisine.

If you like to explore the wine and food pairing, I could recommend a nice Sardinian white wine, like Vermentino, which with its body and minerality pairs well with the intense flavor of the mushrooms.