Fregola is a delightful specialty hailing from Sardinia made with simple ingredients: semolina (the coarse part of the grain leftover from milling durum wheat) and water.

Unlike most pasta, it is not extruded: the water is sprinkled over the semolina, which is then rolled in a circular motion until small irregular balls form. In this way, fregola is more similar to north African couscous than classic Italian pasta. The differences do not stop there: where most pasta is simply dried, fregola is lightly toasted, which enhances its nutty flavor and lovely chewiness.

Serve it in traditional dishes such as Fregola with Clams or try it in pasta salads and anywhere you would use orzo or Israeli couscous.