Fregola with seafood (Fregola ai Frutti di Mare) is a delicious and flavorful pasta dish that comes from the rich culinary tradition of Sardinia, Italy.
The star of this recipe is fregola, or more traditionally called fregula, a unique type of Sardinian pasta made from semolina. Fregola has a rustic, round, and slightly uneven shape, as it’s traditionally handmade.
This hearty and tasty dish is perfect for special occasions, bringing the fresh and vibrant flavors of the sea to your table.
The ingredients for fregola with seafood can vary depending on the type of seafood you have on hand. Clams, mussels, shrimp, and squid are some of the most popular choices.
Fregola can be cooked in salted boiling water, but in this recipe, I’ve used a different method: cooking it risotto-style with a flavorful fish broth.
Although fregola with seafood is a rich and impressive dish, it’s surprisingly easy to make. The only part that takes a little extra time is cleaning the seafood. You’ll need to clean the clams, mussels, shrimp, and squid before starting.
The process is similar to making risotto. First, you toast the fregola in olive oil, then cook it slowly by adding fish broth, made with shrimp shells and heads, a little at a time.
The seafood is added to the pan at different stages, depending on its cooking time, so everything comes out perfectly tender and flavorful.
The result is a dish with a truly unique and irresistible taste. Try this fantastic recipe, and you’re sure to impress your guests!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 30 Min | Cook Time: 50 Min | Servings: 4
Note: If you’re using fresh clams, allow an additional 1 hour to purge them
- 300 g (~10 oz) fregola sarda
- 300 g (~10 oz) mussels
- 300 g (~10 oz) clams
- 3 medium squids
- 150 g (~5 oz) shrimps (whole, with heads and shells)
- 50 g (~⅓ cup) tomato passata
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- 1 garlic clove
- chopped parsley, to taste
For the Fish Broth
- ½ onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery rib
- 1.5 liter (6 ⅓ cups) water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt, to taste
- shrimp shells and heads
Instructions
Preparing the Seafood and Broth
Step 1) - Start making fregola with seafood by cleaning the shrimp. Remove the shells, keeping the heads and shells aside to make the fish broth. Make a shallow cut along the back of each shrimp and pull out the intestines. Set the cleaned shrimp aside for later.
Step 2) - Heat about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery, stirring to coat them evenly in the oil.
Add the shrimp heads and shells to the saucepan. Sauté them for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn pink and release their flavor.
Step 3) - Pour in the water. Lightly salt the broth, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let it simmer gently for about 30 minutes. This will create a flavorful fish broth.
Step 4) - While the broth is cooking, heat the olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) in another large saucepan. Add a whole clove of garlic and some chopped parsley. Once fragrant, add the mussels and clams (cook them separately or in the same pan). Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until all the shells have opened.
Cooking the Fregola
Step 5) - Once the mussels and clams have cooked, transfer them to a bowl. Discard any empty shells or those that didn’t open. Strain the cooking liquid from the mussels and clams and set it aside for later.
Step 6) - Now clean the squid. Rinse them under cold running water and remove the insides, eyes, central beak, and inner bone. Peel off the skin and slice the squid into rings. Set them aside for later use.
Step 7) - In a large saucepan, heat it briefly over medium heat, then add the fregola. Toast the fregola for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This enhances its flavor and texture.
After toasting the fregola, pour in the reserved cooking liquid from the mussels and clams. Stir well to combine.
Add the tomato passata to the fregola and stir until evenly mixed.
Step 8) - Begin cooking the fregola risotto-style. Strain the shrimp broth then add a ladleful at a time, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more. Stir frequently to ensure the fregola cooks evenly. The total cooking time for fregola is about 15 minutes.
Step 9) - After 5-6 minutes of cooking, add the prepared squid rings and shrimp to the fregola. Stir well and cook for another 5 minutes, adding more stock as needed.
Step 10) - Once the fregola is cooked, stir in the mussels and clams. Mix gently to combine all the seafood with the pasta.
Serve the fregola ai frutti di mare piping hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy this hearty and flavorful dish that brings the taste of the sea to your table!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Spaghetti allo Scoglio
- Spaghetti with Clams
- Sicilian Couscous Recipe with Mussels and Clams
- Italian Stuffed Mussels
- Mussels Marinara Recipe
- Paccheri with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce and Clams
Storage
Fregola ai frutti di mare is best enjoyed fresh, as the flavors and textures are at their peak right after cooking.
However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. When reheating, add a splash of water or broth to bring back some of the creaminess, and warm it gently on the stove over low heat.
It’s not recommended to freeze this dish, as the seafood can lose its texture and the fregola may become mushy after thawing.
For the best results, prepare only the amount you plan to eat right away.
Tips
Spicy Version: For a spicy twist, add a pinch of chili powder or red pepper flakes toward the end of cooking. This will give the dish a pleasant kick without overpowering the delicate seafood flavors.
Control the Thickness: The consistency of fregola ai frutti di mare can be adjusted to your preference. If you like it thick and creamy, let the broth reduce completely while cooking. If you prefer a soup-like dish, add more broth to achieve a lighter, more liquid consistency. The amount of broth you use will determine the final texture.
Fresh vs. Frozen Seafood: For the best results, always use fresh, high-quality seafood. While frozen seafood is an option, it won’t deliver the same depth of flavor as fresh clams, mussels, and shrimp.
The Tomato Balance: The small amount of tomato passata in this recipe is meant to add a touch of color without overpowering the seafood. If you enjoy a stronger tomato flavor, feel free to double the amount. Alternatively, you can skip the tomato entirely for a white version of fregola ai frutti di mare.
Variations
Seafood Fregola with Bottarga: For a premium variation, try garnishing the dish with finely grated tuna or mullet roe (bottarga). This Sardinian specialty adds a salty, umami-rich touch that elevates the dish to another level. You can use bottarga as a replacement for parsley or as an additional garnish.
Summer Salad Version: Fregola ai frutti di mare can also be served cold as a refreshing summer salad. Simply boil the fregola according to the package instructions, then spread it on a tray with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to cool. Separately, cook the seafood with cherry tomatoes and crunchy vegetables, then mix everything together for a light and appetizing summer dish.
What is Fregola Sarda
Fregola Sarda, or fregula, is a traditional Sardinian pasta made from durum wheat semolina. It is shaped into small, medium, or large irregular balls, ranging from 2 to 6 millimeters in size. What makes fregula unique is that it is toasted in the oven, giving it a distinctive nutty and roasted flavor.
In Sardinia, fregula is commonly used in dishes with sauces, broths, or seafood, as well as meat-based recipes. It can be cooked like risotto, used as a pasta or soup base, or even served cold as a summer salad.
The name "fregula" comes from the Latin word ferculum, meaning "crumb" or "fragment." Traditionally, it is made by wetting semolina in terracotta bowls, called scivedda, and rolling it in a circular motion by hand until small pasta balls form. After drying, the pasta is toasted to achieve its characteristic golden color and robust flavor.
Thanks to its rough and porous texture, fregula absorbs seasonings and sauces beautifully, making it a versatile ingredient in Sardinian cuisine.
Recipe Card
Fregola ai Frutti di Mare (Sardinian Pasta with Seafood)
Ingredients
- 300 g fregola sarda - ~10 oz
- 300 g mussels - ~10 oz
- 300 g clams - ~10 oz
- 3 squid - medium size
- 150 g shrimps - ~5 oz, (whole, with heads and shells)
- 50 g tomato passata - ~⅓ cup
- olive oil - extra virgin, to taste
- 1 garlic clove
- parsley - chopped, to taste
For the Fish Broth
- ½ onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery rib
- 1.5 liter water - 6 ⅓ cups
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin
- salt - to taste
- shrimp shells and heads
Instructions
Preparing the Seafood and Broth
- Start making fregola with seafood by cleaning the shrimp. Remove the shells, keeping the heads and shells aside to make the fish broth. Make a shallow cut along the back of each shrimp and pull out the intestines. Set the cleaned shrimp aside for later.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery, stirring to coat them evenly in the oil.
- Add the shrimp heads and shells to the saucepan. Sauté them for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn pink and release their flavor.
- Pour in the water. Lightly salt the broth, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let it simmer gently for about 30 minutes. This will create a flavorful fish broth.
- While the broth is cooking, heat the olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) in another large saucepan. Add a whole clove of garlic and some chopped parsley. Once fragrant, add the mussels and clams (cook them separately or in the same pan). Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until all the shells have opened.
Cooking the Fregola
- Once the mussels and clams have cooked, transfer them to a bowl. Discard any empty shells or those that didn’t open. Strain the cooking liquid from the mussels and clams and set it aside for later.
- Now clean the squid. Rinse them under cold running water and remove the insides, eyes, central beak, and inner bone. Peel off the skin and slice the squid into rings. Set them aside for later use.
- In a large saucepan, heat it briefly over medium heat, then add the fregola. Toast the fregola for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This enhances its flavor and texture.
- After toasting the fregola, pour in the reserved cooking liquid from the mussels and clams. Stir well to combine.
- Add the tomato passata to the fregola and stir until evenly mixed.
- Begin cooking the fregola risotto-style. Strain the shrimp broth then add a ladleful at a time, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more. Stir frequently to ensure the fregola cooks evenly. The total cooking time for fregola is about 15 minutes.
- After 5-6 minutes of cooking, add the prepared squid rings and shrimp to the fregola. Stir well and cook for another 5 minutes, adding more stock as needed.
- Once the fregola is cooked, stir in the mussels and clams. Mix gently to combine all the seafood with the pasta.
- Serve the fregola ai frutti di mare piping hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy this hearty and flavorful dish that brings the taste of the sea to your table!
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