- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 4 tbsp chopped parsley
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 1¼ litres/2 pints 4fl oz fish stock
- 4 medium tomatoes, skins removed, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 250g/9oz fregola pasta
- 1kg/2lb 4oz small clams, rinsed and drained (discard any clams that remain open when tapped)
- large pinch saffron, infused in 1 tbsp hot water
- 1 lemon, finely grated zest only
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, parsley and chilli flakes. Heat, stirring, for one minute, until the garlic starts to colour.
- Add the stock and half of the tomatoes and bring to the boil.
- Add the fregola pasta and simmer for ten minutes (or to cook according to packet instructions), stirring frequently, until the pasta is just cooked.
- Meanwhile, pour enough water into a large clean pan with a lid to come about ½cm/¼in up the sides. Bring to the boil, then add the clams and cover tightly with the lid. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, over a high heat, for 3-5 minutes, or until all of the clams have opened.
- Remove the clams from the pan with a slotted spoon. Discard any clams that have not opened.
- Carefully pour off most of the cooking liquor from the pan into a bowl, leaving behind any sand and grit that will have settled on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the clams, the strained cooking liquor, the infused saffron and its water, the lemon zest and the remaining tomatoes to the pan of simmering pasta and mix well.
- Remove from the heat and ladle into six soup bowls. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately.