Pasta with artichokes.

This traditional recipe from Sardinia for pasta with artichokes is made with typical Sardinian ingredients; fregola (fregula), globe artichokes and Pecorino cheese. It’s an easy to make, simple and light fregola recipe that you can eat hot or cold. Perfect as a starter, side dish or weeknight meal.

What is fregola?

Also known as fregula, fregola is a small pasta unique to the island of Sardinia. It is sometimes referred to as Sardinian or Italian couscous. Italians call it fregola sarda. Fregola is made of balls of durum wheat semolina and water, rolled by hand, and then toasted in the oven. This gives it a distinct nutty flavor and golden color.

History of Fregola.

Sardinian fregola is a very ancient type of pasta. According to some food historians, this pasta dates back to the 10^th century! Some people believe that fregola derives from couscous. In fact, they assume the Phoenicians, the Punics or the Carthaginians brought it to Sardinia.

However, many Sardinians think differently. They say there’s no evidence to prove that fregola didn't originate in Sardinia! You can read more about this interesting pasta in my fregola post.

Sardinian artichokes.

Artichokes are also an iconic Sardinian ingredient.  The islanders prepare them in many different ways apart from this fregola with artichokes recipe. Another popular local recipe is deep fried artichoke with mint and Sardinian ricotta cheese.

Known in English as the spiky Sardinian artichoke, (Carciofi Spinoso Sardo), Sardinian globe artichokes look different from other varieties. They have conical, elongated heads with sharp yellow-red spines on both their bracts and leaves. In addition, these artichokes also have a sweeter flavor than other types and are even eaten raw in salads.

Sardinian artichokes are much sought after and have a DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) status. This means strict rules apply to where and how they are grown. 

History of Sardinian artichokes.

The presence of the artichoke in Sardinia dates back to the time of the Phoenicians. Over the centuries, artichokes have become one of the most important agricultural productions on the island. Apparently, they have even been mentioned in literary works since the 18^th century.

Interestingly, the importance of artichoke cultivation in Sardinia is highlighted by the fact that in the 19^th century, farmers used to pay an ‘insurance tax’ for the surveillance of their artichoke fields!

Main ingredients in this pasta with artichokes.

The artichokes: The main ingredient of this dish is the spiny artichoke from Sardinia. However, you can use other varieties of globe artichokes or even frozen or canned artichoke hearts, ready to cook and available at any time of the year.

The pasta: Fregola (fregula) is the traditional pasta for this Sardinian recipe. The pasta needs to be cooked in broth in a method known as risottata, meaning like risotto.

So, if you don’t have fregola available, the best would be to use another small pasta or pastina such as orzo. Orzo is also often cooked in the same way as risotto. Alternatively, use Israeli couscous which is similar to fregola.

The cheese: Pecorino Romano and Pecorino Sardo are both made in Sardinia and would be the cheeses most used in this recipe. Of course, you can also use Parmigiano although it has a less salty flavour than Pecorino. However, none of these cheeses are vegetarian as they contain animal rennet. To make this recipe vegetarian, use a hard cheese that contains a vegetable rennet.

The broth: You need at least a litre of vegetable broth for this pasta with artichokes because the fregola cooks in the broth. I used a ready made organic vegetable broth. However, homemade broth would also be a very good choice.

Leeks: This recipe calls for one large leek. Leeks add a sweet oniony flavour which is milder and more delicate than most types of onion. You can substitute the leek with shallots or mild onions.

Other ingredients.

Garlic: Garlic is a key ingredient in many Italian recipes although too much garlic can overpower the other flavors. This recipe calls for just 1-2 garlic cloves.

Parsley: Parsley adds a fresh clean flavor to any recipe you use it in. In this dish, parsley is used both in the cooking and when serving!

Olive Oil: For best results use a good quality extra virgin olive oil if available. You only need a little and it really adds a wonderful aroma and flavor other oils lack.

Lemon juice: The juice of one lemon is used in this recipe to soak and preserve the colour of the prepared artichokes.

Step by step instructions.

First, prepare the artichokes. Remove the hardest external leaves and the tips of the artichokes. Then cut them in half and remove the internal beard, cut the artichokes into thin slices, and soak them in water with lemon juice, to preserve the color.

In the meantime, wash the leek and cut it into thin slices, wash and chop the parsley and peel and chop the garlic.

Step 2: Place a deep-frying pan or skillet on the heat with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and, when it is hot, add the leek cut into slices, leaving it to sauté for a few minutes.

Step 3: Add the artichokes. Let everything cook for about 10 minutes over a medium heat.

Step 4: Add the chopped garlic and parsley. Mix everything together and cook for 5 minutes more.

Step 5: Pour the fregola into the pan and mix it into the vegetables. Allow it to sauté a little.

Step 6: Pour a couple of ladles of vegetable broth into the pan stir and let the pasta absorb it.

Step 7: Continue adding broth and stirring until the fregola is al dente. The same way you would make a risotto. It will take about 20-25 minutes. At the end of cooking, the fregola and artichokes should be soft and the dish a little soupy.

Step 8: Turn off the heat, stir a generous helping of pecorino into the fregola with artichokes, mix well and serve hot with a sprinkling of more fresh parsley and grated pecorino. Season with salt and pepper as required.

What to do with leftovers.

Leftovers of fregola pasta with artichokes can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, freezing isn’t recommended.

You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave or eat them as a salad with a dash of olive oil. In fact, I really like doing the latter and have also added canned tuna to the leftovers.

Let me know what you think.

If you make pasta with artichokes recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Buon appetito!

Other fregola/fregula recipes worth trying.

1. Fregola with clams
2. Chickpeas with fregola
3. Fregola with lamb

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If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or checkout some recommended pasta making tools? All great prezzies for pasta lovers!