Cùscusu (Sicilian dialect for “couscous”) and Fregula (Sardinian for “fregola”) are cousins. Both are made by forming balls of semolina pasta, but the grains of cùscusu are smaller, about the size of coarse coffee grounds, while fregula is similar in size to Israeli couscous. Indeed, like the Israeli variety, fregula is often dried by toasting in an oven (though not everyone on the island embraces this step). In both cases, this ground durum wheat pasta has ancient origins in Italy, dating back to the ninth century when Arabic culture arrived in Sicily and Sardinia, introducing a sophisticated approach to trade and commerce that included dried pasta made in factories. If making these shapes is really your jam, order a handmade freguera from the master, Walter Usai, who is known for his steep-sided terracotta bowls ideal for dough making.