Fregola with Steamed Mussels

By Fabrizio Castangia, chef/partner, Fabrizio’s Restaurant

Serves 4

For Mussels:

8 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. white  wine

Fill a large pot with mussels. Sprinkle chopped garlic over the shellfish. You’ll only need small amount of wine as mussels produce all the liquid needed for steaming. Cook over high heat until most or all of the mussels open. Discard any that do not open.

For Fregola:

1 package fregola*

Onions

4 cups vegetable stock

Tomato sauce

You will need about 1 1/2 cups of fregola to serve 4. To prepare it, follow the directions on the fregola package. Otherwise, know that you will need about 4 cups of vegetable stock to cook this traditional Sardinian pasta. If you like, start by sautéing 1/2 cup finely chopped onion in pan until it is translucent and then add fregola. Cook it like you would risotto. Slowly begin the addition of the stock, a cup of hot broth at a time and stir. Keeping the heat at a simmer, keep adding the broth slowly until each cup is almost absorbed. Continue cooking the fregola in this method until it is almost tender to the bite. This will take about 20 minutes.

Next comes the addition of the tomato sauce. I sauté a small chopped onion in a small amount of olive oil until translucent. Next add chopped San Marzano tomatoes, basil and salt to taste and simmer until the sauce is a consistency and flavor that you like.

Add the sauce to the fregola and stir to combine. Let simmer a few minutes for flavors to be absorbed.

To plate:

Ring a dinner plate with mussels and mound a serving of the fregola in the center of the plate. Serve with a glass of Sardinian vermentino.

*Fregola can be purchased at Dean & DeLuca in St. Helena or ordered online. You might also try any of the Italian grocers in San Francisco’s North Beach.

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