CLAM AND FREGOLA SOUP

Clam And Fregola Soup image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Categories dinner, soups and stews, appetizer

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings as a first course, 2 as a main course

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
3 pounds steamer clams, well scrubbed
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup fregola
2 cups stewed tomatoes, crushed, with their juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups bottled clam juice, if necessary
2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley

Steps:

In a large soup pot, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion and chili pepper, and cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Raise heat to high, and add the steamers, 1 cup water and the wine. Cover pot, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until clams begin to open.
Use tongs to remove clams, leaving as much juice as possible in the pot. Add fregola and tomatoes and their juice to the pot, reduce heat to simmer, and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste.
Cover pot, and simmer 20 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure that not all the liquid has evaporated. If necessary to maintain soupy consistency, add water or bottled clam juice, a quarter cup at a time. After 20 minutes, remove lid and continue to simmer until fregola is tender.
Meanwhile, pick the meat from the clams and discard the shells. When fregola is tender, stir in the clam meat as well as additional bottled clam juice, if necessary, and serve immediately, garnished with parsley.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 598, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 47 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 63 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 2944 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams