This hearty dish combines nutty fregola pasta with bright tomatoes, spinach, and a splash of white wine. The nutritional yeast adds a subtle cheesy depth during cooking. Perfect for four servings.
Ingredients (4 servings)
500 g fregola
Salt (for the boiling water)
2 scallions (spring onions)
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tomatoes
500 g spinach
100–150 ml white wine
Salt
Sugar
Cardamom
Lemon juice
Nutmeg
Pepper
Parsley
Nutritional yeast flakes (added during cooking of fregola)
1 tbsp vegan butter (melted at the end)
Optional: fresh truffle (or truffle oil)
Preparation
1) Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Peel the tomatoes by blanching briefly, then dice.
Wash spinach and roughly chop, remove thick stems.
Clean and slice scallions into thin rings.
Finely chop garlic.
2) Cook fregola (with nutritional yeast)
In a large pot, boil salted water.
Add fregola. Add nutritional yeast flakes directly to the pot and stir immediately to allow them to dissolve and impart flavor.
Cook according to package instructions (about 12–14 minutes), adding more water if needed to reach a creamy texture.
Add vegan butter and melt through fregola until glossy and creamy.
3) Sauté base
Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
Sauté scallions 2–3 minutes until soft.
Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.
4) Add tomatoes
Add diced tomatoes. Bring to a quick boil, then simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened (about 4–6 minutes).
Optional: lightly blend the tomatoes if you prefer a smoother sauce.
5) Spinach and wine
Stir in spinach in batches until it wilts.
Add white wine and simmer until most of the liquid reduces (1–2 minutes).
6) Season, finish, and butter
Season with salt, sugar, cardamom, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Adjust with pepper.
Fold in the cooked fregola and mix well to coat.
7) Serve
Stir in chopped parsley.
Optional: finish with shaved fresh truffle.
Tips
If the mixture seems too dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water to reach your desired consistency.
Nutritional yeast adds umami and a light cheesy note; adjust to taste.
The vegan butter provides gloss and creaminess; adjust the amount as desired.