Author: Chef M

Fregola is a type of Sardinian pasta made from semolina flour. It’s essentially the same product as the giant Middle Eastern couscous called moghrabieh, so you can use that in this recipe too. The small balls of pasta are around 2–3 mm and work well as a side. You could add a host of different leaves (spinach, chard, wild rocket and so on) to wilt in it just after it’s been cooked and drained. But this recipe, like the orzo, is relatively plain, so that it sits in the background as a quietly confident foil to more showy sides and…

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Although orzo is a type of pasta, it looks like grains of rice, which should immediately open your mind to its usefulness as a side dish. I’m not normally a fan of pasta accompaniments, preferring it as the focus of a meal, but orzo, fregola and macaroni are exceptions to that rule. There’s something particularly enjoyable about the naturally silky nature of cooked orzo. The grains roll loosely over and around the tongue and, lubricated by the stock and oil, make a luscious fork or spoonful alongside things like roast peppers and feta, poached chicken, roast lamb, salmon and smoked…

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