Fregola con Arselle

Soak the arselle in cold salted water for two hours, then rinse thoroughly to remove grit.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a wide pan over high heat and add the cleaned clams.

Cover with a lid and cook for three minutes until all the shells open wide.

Transfer the open clams to a bowl, discarding any shells that remain tightly closed.

Strain the cooking liquor through a fine sieve lined with kitchen paper to catch any residual sand.

Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan over medium heat with the crushed garlic and chilli.

Stir in the tomato purée and half of the parsley, cooking gently for two minutes.

Add the fregola, stirring well for one minute to coat the toasted semolina grains.

Pour in the white wine and let it bubble vigorously until the raw alcohol evaporates.

Add the strained clam liquor and enough hot stock to cover the fregola generously.

Simmer gently for fourteen minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more warm stock if it becomes too dry.

Fold in the cooked clams and remaining fresh parsley, simmering for one minute before serving hot in shallow bowls.