Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Island Hopping

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (22)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(22)

Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 10 min
Total:: 20 min

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Ingredients

For the orange oil:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 orange, zested

For the salad:

8 cups chicken broth
1 pound fregola pasta (or orzo)
1 orange
1 pink grapefruit
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the orange oil:

Combine the olive oil and the orange zest in a small bowl and set aside.

For the salad:

Bring the large saucepan of chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Add the fregola pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain pasta onto a large baking sheet. Spread to a single layer and let cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, using a small knife cut the skin off the orange and grapefruit. Over a large bowl, cut out the segments of the citrus flesh and catch the juices. Add the onion, mint, basil, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, and cooled fregola pasta.

Add the reserved orange oil to the pasta. Toss all the ingredients together and serve.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion
Gloria Henderson, NV 10-12-2009
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LOVED THIS ONE
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

For the poster who complained that this salad was too bitter, if you watched Giada's show she specifically said to use Ruby... Red grapefruit. I always buy this to eat for breakfast and it is much sweeter than regular grapefruit. You can't mistake it because the skin is very pink. I hope you try this again using Ruby Red, I think you'll like the combination of flavors. As for the fregola, I bought some two years ago when the Whole Foods store opened near my home and loved it. I use it for my Italian Wedding Soup. They no longer carry it and I can't find it anywhere except online so I substitute Harvest Grains from Trader Joes. Awesome. Toast them first.Read more
recipe Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion
Dena Brooklyn, NY 06-25-2009
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My least favorite of Giada's recipes
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I normally love the recipes created by Giada De Laurentiis, but I didn't enjoy this one at all. I was shocked because all of... the ingredients sounded so promising. I tracked down the fregola and followed the recipe closely but in the end the bitterness of the grapefruit (or possibly the toasted fregola or the orange zest?) came across strongest. The pasta was surprisingly heavy and I found that the citrus dressing wasn't tart enough to lift the pasta out of its density. I added a little lemon juice and some rice wine vinegar. That helped but a sharp bitter flavor still lingered too long. Perhaps I should have used a sweeter grapefruit, or just tripled the orange segments and ditched the grapefruit altogether. Orzo would probably be lighter, too. Anyway, ended up throwing out a huge bowl of it because no one in the family liked it. $25 of ingredients in the trash. :(Read more
recipe Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion
David Houston, TX 02-11-2009
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absolutely wonderful recipe!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I enjoy cooking. It is what I do on my time off - sort of a hobby I guess. I watch your program regularly, Giada. And not... just because you are pleasing to the eyes. Your cooking style is simple, easy to understand, elegant, and inespensive. This particular recipe was fantastic to prepare! I have colleagues who are not familiar with other ethnic cooking (they are hispanic and oriental), and they just loved this dish!! They're asking where I got it from, so I must ask you, or anyone out there - how do I convert this and other recipes into Spanish? Thank you so much for your dedication to quality food at prices everyone can afford. You are awesome! Read more
recipe Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion
Chris Middle Village, NY 07-11-2008
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Incredible!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I doubt Giada would read this but I think she should. When I saw this dish being made I thought that it was the most... healthiest dish I ever seen. I live in Middle Village Queens where the neighborhood is mostly Italian and most of the italians here are Sicilian decent(italian here as well forza!). I went to an italian specialty store up the block from my house and to my surprise they did not carry fregola. Wow, lol. I bought couscous instead there. My second choice would of been orzo as the recipe indicated as an alternative. I tell you this was delicious I only had a taste because it's for my lunch for tommorow. Another reviewer said if I'm not mistaken the basil and mint together is to overpowering together. No it's not and since I didn't have fennel seeds I can say the Basil, Mint, and Fennel are practically close in flavors. The mint's punjunt taste gave this salad the pop! Honestly, I have been watching Giada since she's been on the food network since day one. I can say I made about 2 recipes from her and now this. I remember Giada noted that isle people are very well dressed, well this salad is a definite reflection of that. Thanks Giada u rock!!Read more
recipe Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion
Elizabeth oak Brook, IL 08-27-2007
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DELICIOUS!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this with Giada's Garlic and Citrus chicken and it was fabulous! The gravy from the chicken on my plate dripped in the... salad so i started to pour the gravy on the salad and everyone at the table did as well!! There were only 3 people at the table so with the extra gravy from the chicken I added it to the salad and it will be my lunch and dinner tomorrow! I found the fennel seeds to fit right in this salad.Read more
recipe Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion
SANDI averill park, NY 08-15-2007
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loved it!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I ordered the pasta off the internet and made this. I loved it before I added the fennel seeds. I liked it with but LOVED it... without.Read more