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Captivating Crumbles…

Posted on February 21, 2021February 24, 2021 by Jen

A Recipe for Fregola Sarda with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, Celery Root, Carrots, Rutabaga, and Crispy Rosemary Olives & Baguette Croutons


Fregola sarda is a minuscule handmade pasta crafted from semolina and water and looks very similar to Israeli couscous. It is typically available dried and pre-toasted to enhance its nutty flavor. Fregola comes from the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of my favorite pastas that is available dried and perfect for those nights when we do not roll our own dough.

The origins of the word, fregola, stem from Latin and translates to crumbles or fragments. That is exactly what fregola looks like, toasted little balls of breadcrumbs. Historical documents date fregola to the 900s AD. Flick on Food has a great article about fregola. I loved the part about the rules for making fregola in the 1300s which restricted production to certain days of the week to avoid excess water usage.

As always, I had a selection of vegetables in my refrigerator that needed to be transformed into something delectable very soon. Fregola is typically prepared with tomatoes and often seafood. We have to wait a bit for tomato season to be in full swing in SC, so I decided upon a Sicilian style sundried tomato pesto instead. Sun-dried tomatoes have an intense flavor that I love and Sicilians often make their pesto using almonds or pistachios and fresh herbs. This is how I like to prepare an oil-free, spicy, Sicilian style pesto at home.

A bowl of dried toasted Fregola Sarda from my kitchen!

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

An oil-free sun-dried tomato pesto with pistachios, almonds, and Calabrian chilies.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
  • 2 tbsp raw almonds
  • 2 tbsp pistachios shelled
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1/2-1 1/2 tsp crushed Calabrian chilies
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1/3-1/2 cup water

Instructions
 

  • Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 10 minutes. Then drain.
  • Add drained sun-dried tomatoes, nuts, garlic, chilies, nutritional yeast, rosemary, and lemon juice to a blender.
  • Add 1/3 cup of water and blend until smooth.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Add additional water 1-2 tbsp of water at a time if pesto is too thick.*

Notes

*If using the pesto for the fregola sarda recipe you want it to be very thick. The pesto will be thinned with the pasta water.
*Pesto can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Keyword healthy plant based sun dried tomato pesto, healthy sun dried tomato pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, sundried tomato pesto, vegan sun dried tomato pesto

Left: preparation of olives, baguette pieces, minced garlic before toasting. Right: olives, baguette pieces, minced garlic crisped in air fryer.

Crispy Olives and Croutons with Rosemary and Garlic

Toasted kalamata olives, baguette cubes, minced garlic and fresh rosemary. A perfect topping for pasta or just for snacks!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Air fryer or oven.

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup pitted olives (kalamata or mixed)
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh rosemary minced
  • 6 slices baguette cubed
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and toss to coat. Add additional olive oil if needed to coat bread.
  • Place mixture in an air fryer and cook until golden brown. (It took about 20 minutes in my air fryer). You can also roast in the oven.
  • Set aside and use as a topping.
Keyword crispy olives, crispy olives croutons rosemary garlic, easy homemade croutons, garlic rosemary olives croutons, homemade croutons with olives, rosemary olives


Captivating Crumbles: Fregola Sarda with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, Celery Root, Carrots, Rutabaga

Fregola pasta topped with sun-dried tomato pesto, celery root, carrots, rutabaga, crispy olives, garlic and croutons.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 14 mins
Total Time 24 mins
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 servings dried fregola
  • 1 tbsp vegetable broth or olive oil
  • 2 shallots minced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup celery root diced
  • 1 1/2 cup rutabaga diced
  • 2 cups rainbow carrots diced
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto*

Instructions
 

  • Cook fregola according to the package directions. Before draining reserve 1-2 cups of cooking liquid.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil or vegetable broth in a shallow pan over medium heat.
  • Add shallots, garlic, celery root, rutabaga, and carrots to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add fresh herbs and cook another two minutes.
  • Add the sun-dried tomato pesto and 1/2 cup of reserved fregola cooking liquid. Stir to combine.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings. Add pesto, additional cooking liquid, or spices according to taste.

Serving suggestions

  • Serve over fregola and top with crispy rosemary olives and croutons* and additional pesto if desired.

Notes

*See previous recipes for sun-dried tomato pesto and crispy rosemary olives and croutons.
Keyword captivating crumbles, fregola sundried tomatoes winter vegetables olives, fregola winter vegetables olives, healthy plant based sun dried tomato pesto, healthy sun dried tomato pesto, plant based fregola sun dried tomatoes olives, plant based fregola sun-dried tomatoes olives winter vegetables, sun-dried tomato pesto, sundried tomato pesto, vegan fregola sun dried tomatoes olives vegetables winter, vegan fregola sundried tomatoes olives winter vegetables, vegan sun dried tomato pesto
Strawberry Mint Basil Cucumber Salad

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Slow Food, Less Effort, 1 Ingredient at a Time

Are you striving to make a lifestyle change or looking to discover plant-focused recipes the whole family will love?

My name is Jen. I am a wife, mom, and a pharmacist. I love to cook for my family, hike, run, and read about history. I enjoy eating fresh, seasonal, locally available produce. In addition to endurance trail runs and long bike rides, I will happily set out on foraging hikes for mushrooms and truffles.

Waiting for the seasons to change, fruits to ripen, vegetables to mature, or truffles to reach their peak (7-11 years) is an endurance sport in itself.  Nonetheless, the time and effort spent is well worth crossing that finish line and enjoying a delicious, healthy meal.

I always say the slower you run, the more you enjoy the trail. Food is the same. Cooking together in the kitchen with freshly harvested fruits and vegetables is all about taking life slower and enjoying the process and experience. Plant-based, healthy food for the whole family with less effort, so you can slow down and enjoy life!

Disclaimer: This website is for sharing recipes and cooking techniques that I use in my kitchen. It is not intended as medical advice. Ingredient information is for general knowledge only. Please consult your physician for medical questions and concerns regarding your personal health.

All rights reserved. Copyright pending. Recipes/photographs may not be copied and/or re-posted as an original work without express written consent by website owner.

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