When I first saw Fregola at my grocery store, it seemed rare, but after experimenting with it, I learned that it can be cooked like a risotto, simmered in stock, or even boiled, drained, and dressed like a salad. I always keep this around for late night meals, it's hearty, and it gets better as it sits by absorbing the liquid that you cook it in. It reminds me of "Acini di Pepe" (little round pasta balls) that I would eat as a child with butter and Parmigiano-Regianno cheese. Fregola has become that comforting to me. I like to sweat some onions or a shallot with some garlic and parsley, then add in my Tomatoes which have been passed through a food mill. As the fregola simmers in the tomato it swells with flavor. The Pecorino cheese adds some sharpness and saltiness to the dish, then it gets rounded out with fresh torn basil leaves, a drizzle of fine Extra Virgin Olive oil, and some freshly ground black pepper. Try it for yourself, it's curbed my late night appetite many times. I make a few different versions, but this is the one I usually gravitate towards.

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