This summer, I have been searching for cool, satisfying salads that
keep all the family well-fed and also cleverly yield tempting leftovers that
taste even better the following day – and save me cooking or even thinking what
to prepare – already done! Thankfully The Gourmet Traveller magazine provided this perfect salad that is Fregola Freakin' Fabulous!
Serves 4 as a main meal
OR 5- 6 as
side dish
(I served it with 2 lamb cutlets per person)
Preparation including cooking time
25 – 30 minutes.
Ingredients
200 gram fregola. (fregula) Sardinian
Pasta - very small round pasta balls that have been toasted.
(Substitute Israeli couscous or a similar very small round pasta though
it won’t have the toasty bite).
6 thin slices pancetta
3 young zucchini – use a speed-peeler to slice into long thin wafer slices.
2 tablespoons Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
200 gram frozen peas – cooked for 1 minute OR microwave
on High 1 minute. Drain.
½ cup each of basil and mint
leaves – roughly torn
250 gram buffalo mozzarella or
bocconcini - coarsely torn into chunks
1 small Roma Tomato – deseeded and cut into bite size pieces
Handful baby Kale leaves OR baby spinach leaves
Dressing
60 ml (1/4 cup) Australian Extra
Virgin Olive Oil
1 garlic clove –finely sliced
1 lemon – the juice AND the lemon rind
To serve (option)
Crusty bread
Method
Cook fregola pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 10- 12 minutes
(or according to packet)
Drain well and spread on a large oven tray and set aside to cool.
For the garlic lemon dressing
Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add the lemon rind and
the lemon juice. Set aside to steep.
Use a chargrill pan (will also need for zucchini) cook pancetta pieces til crispy. Drain, allow pancetta pieces to cool.
Keep chargrill hot.
Lightly toss the zucchini with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper to your
preference.
Cook in batches and transfer to
a large bowl.
Add the fregola, pancetta torn
into pieces, the peas, the chunks of mozzarella, diced tomato,
then the mint and basil leaves.
Toss gently to combine.
Just prior to serving
Remove garlic and lemon rind from the oil. Drizzle the oil over the salad.
Serve immediately with chunks of crusty bread.
OPTIONS
I had a couple of teaspoons leftover of a pre-prepared Neil Perry Rocket Fetta
Pesto, so spooned that over.
Serve on it’s own OR with lamb cutlets OR other similar meat dishes.
Enjoy! Colleen
I saw fregola in deli and decided to try this recipe. Was so nice i ate it on its own and then for my lunch at work next day
ReplyDeletethis looked so good i tried it and loved it. I used the big couscous and whole family enjoyed as a good summer dinner
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