Fregola or Fregula con arselle indicates a Sardinian pasta type with small clams called arselle.
The pasta is unique to Sardinia and probably has its origins in northern Africa. Semolina flour is rolled with a bit of water into small balls and toasted. It’s an ideal pasta for seafood.
The dish can be served with a lot of liquid, or the liquid almost like a soup, or the liquid may be absorbed by the fregola so that the dish appears almost dry, like the example shown above, from Cagliari, Sardinia.