Baked Fregola Casserole Recipes

FREGOLA WITH CLAMS AND MUSSELS

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine the chicken stock, water, and 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• While the pasta is cooking: Heat 1/4 cup of the oil, over medium-high heat, in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the Marsala wine and grape tomatoes, and cook for 1 minute, scraping the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the clams and mussels to the pan. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook until all the shellfish have opened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened shellfish.
• Using tongs, remove the shellfish from the pan and reserve. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Pour the shellfish cooking liquid over the fregola. Add the remaining olive oil and 1/4 cup of the parsley and toss. Place the reserved shellfish on top of the fregola and garnish with the remaining parsley.

FREGOLATA: CRUMB COOKIE (ITALY)

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment.
• Pulse the nuts in a food processor to finely chop, allowing some larger pieces of nuts to remain. In a large bowl, combine butter, almonds, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the milk. Add the extract. Drizzle yolk mixture over almond mixture and toss with fingers to combine and get everything moistened. (If needed add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk.) Mixture should still be crumbly, but not dry, like a crisp topping.
• Sprinkle 1 cup (about half of the crumbs) on the prepared baking sheet and press lightly to create a thin, even 8-inch round. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top to give the cookie some texture. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking, about 30 minutes. For an extra crispy cookie, turn oven off at this point and let the pan rest in oven for 10 minutes.
• Cool on a rack until easy to handle. Slip the fregolata on the paper onto a rack to cool completely. When cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top.
• To serve, place a whole almond or overturned demitasse spoon under the center of the fregolata and rap the top with a spoon or the side of a knife to crack into serving pieces.

BAKED FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Generously butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Whisk eggs, half-and-half, milk, white sugar, vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Dip each bread slice into egg mixture and arrange in overlapping rows in the prepared baking dish. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix pecans, brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg together in a bowl; spread evenly over bread in the baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Generously top French toast with confectioners' sugar.

BAKED FREGOLA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Pour the olive oil into the skillet, and set it over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scatter the diced pancetta in the pan, and let it cook and render its fat, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, 3 or 4 minutes.
• Drop in the cherry tomatoes and bay leaves, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and peperoncino, and pour in 1/2 cup water. Cover the skillet, bring the water to a simmer, then set the cover slightly ajar and cook just until the water evaporates and the tomatoes pop open and release their juices, about 10 minutes. (If the pan dries before the tomatoes pop, add another 1/4 cup water.) Turn off the heat; remove and discard the bay leaves.
• Meanwhile, heat 4 quarts of water with 2 teaspoons salt to a rolling boil in the pasta pot. Stir in the fregola, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Empty the pot into a colander or large strainer to catch the fregola. Spill them into the skillet, and stir the pasta, tomatoes, and pancetta together until thoroughly blended.
• Heat the oven to 400°, and brush the bottom and sides of the baking dish with olive oil. Pour all the sauced fregola into the dish, and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top, and set the dish in the oven. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp on the edges.
• Serve piping hot. Spoon the fregola into warm bowls as an appetizer, or, to serve family-style, put the baking dish on the table.

FARMER'S CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place potatoes in an 8-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham and onions. Whisk eggs, milk, pepper and salt; pour over all. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. , Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes.