Nigella Recipe With Small Pasta Beads

Our answer

We suspect that the pasta beads that you are refrerring to are a special type of pasta known as fregola. This pasta is a Sardinian speciality and it is similar to the giant (sometimes known as Israeli) cous cous.

Nigella uses fregola in her recipe for Sardinain Cous Cous With Clams. This is not a risotto but it is a dish that is cooked in just one pot. The fregola is cooked with stock, vermouth and tomatoes for flavour, and is not drained. The recipe can be found in Nigella's book Nigellissima and it was also featured in episode 4 of the TV series Nigellissima. Fregola can be found in Italian delicatessens and on-line.