Sardinian Pasta Bits & Shrimp: Fregola Sarda ai Gamberi

Fregola sarda is a type of pasta similar to couscous that is common on the Italian island of Sardinia. Sardinian fregola is different from couscous, however, in that it is toasted. In the U.S. you can find fregola in Italian specialty stores and likely in an increasing number of supermarkets, and of course, it is available online. If you're in Cleveland, you can also find it at the West Side Market.

 

Only Sicily, another part of Italy, is a larger island than Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. Sardinia is known for its beaches, abundant seafood, as well as lamb and goat, as the island also has mountainous areas for the raising of these animals. Another part of Sardinian food culture is the serving of a crispy flatbread called "pane carasau," which is typically served with olive oil. 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

1 1/2 cups fregola pasta

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp

4/1/2 cups water with 1 teaspoon salt

6 ripe roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 or 2 red chili peppers, left whole, with a slit cut into them

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 or 8 basil leaves, halved

a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice to top each serving

Soak the shrimp for about 15 to 20 minutes in some cold water with the juice of half a lemon added, then drain them. In a large sauce pan, bring 4 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil, then add the shrimp and simmer for 90 seconds. Immediately drain the shrimp, but pour the cooking water back into the pan, you will use it shortly. In a large skillet (or sauce pan), heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, then add the chili peppers and chopped tomatoes. Turn the heat to low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the chili pepper and garlic (of course, if you like them, leave them in the dish, but cut them up), and mash the tomatoes with a large fork, until you have a chunky sauce, but with no really large pieces. Add the white wine, ground pepper and salt, stir and cook the chunky sauce a further 7 or 8 minutes over low heat (or even very low heat), stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning. Meanwhile, let the reserved water you used to cook the shrimp come to a boil. Increase the heat for the skillet to medium and add the boiling water to it from the pan. Now add the fregola pasta and let it cook until the water is absorbed ("about" 20 to 25 minutes). When there is still a little water left to be absorbed, add the shrimp and let the shrimp cook in the fregola until tender over low heat, turning the shrimp to make sure they cook evenly. Add the halved fresh basil leaves and stir. Add a squeeze of lemon juice over each serving. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Frugal-This word is related to "fruit," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English via French, and it is distantly related to the verb "brook" (meaning in more modern times, "to bear or tolerate something unkind or unpleasant," as in, "I will not brook any more rude behavior"), a word from the Germanic roots of English (its original meanings in Old English were: "to enjoy, to use, to eat and to enjoy food"). "Frugal" goes back to Indo European "bhrugh," which had the notion of "to use, to make use of;" thus also, "to have the enjoyment of." This gave Latin "frux" (plural "fruges") meaning "fruit, produce," with extended meanings like: "success," "value." Either "frux," its plural "fruges, or its dative form "frugi" (hey, did I narrow this down or what? haha) provided the basis for the Latin adjective "frugalis," meaning "having to do with fruit or produce," but also, "to use virtuously, to use wisely and economically;" thus also, "thrifty." French had the word from Latin as "frugal," and English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1500s meaning "economical, thrifty, sparing in waste or expenditure." The word's roots still show through in the modern underlying meaning, "useful in an efficient way."