Cheesy Courgette Fregola
- Jo Anderson
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
Fregola is a traditional Sardinian pasta, often referred to as giant couscous. It's great as a base for salads, or in hot dishes. An easy side or main, this recipe can be made in a large dish or portioned into smaller dishes to be baked when needed.
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic or ½ tsp garlic powder
2 large courgettes, diced
Handful of frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
250g fregola
100 g parmesan cheese, grated
1 ball mozzarella cheese, diced
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20×30cm oven-proof baking dish and set aside. (Or use several smaller dishes if making portions to refrigerate or freeze.)
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the chopped onions. Crush or chop the garlic and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until the onions become translucent.
Add the diced courgettes and cook for another 4-5 minutes until they soften slightly. Stir in basil leaves and turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the fregola in a large pot of boiling salted water until it reaches the "al dente" stage. This should take around 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and reserve 125ml of the pasta water.
Add the pasta water and cooked fregola to the pan with courgettes and onion, and add the peas. Stir to combine.
Layer half of the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with half the parmesan and half the diced mozzarella. Repeat with remaining fregola and cheeses.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs such as basil, parsley, or mint, and grate some lemon zest over the top to balance the richness of the ingredients.
If making several portions, arrange the layers in the dishes and allow to cool before storing in the fridge or freezer. Defrost fully before cooking, bake for 20 minutes or until piping hot.
Comments