Get cozy with Lidia Bastianich's tomato soup with fregola and clams

It may be hard to believe, but the holidays are approaching -- and that means lots of time with family and loved ones.

Chef Lidia Bastianich is something of an expert on the topic and has been bringing families together at the dinner table for 25 years with her internationally acclaimed cooking show, "Lidia's Kitchen."

Now, she's letting us in on generations of her family's go-to recipes in her new cookbook, "Lidia's - From Our Family Table to Yours." She recently dropped by "GMA3" to share her family favorite, tomato soup with fregola and clams.

Scroll below to check it out.

Tomato Soup with Fregola and Clams

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled, plus 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes

1 cup dry wine

3 pounds Manila or small littleneck clams

1 pound fregola

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and thyme, and cook until the garlic is sizzling, about one minute. Add the tomatoes and two quarts of water. Season with two teaspoons of salt and the peperoncino. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat another Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced garlic, let it sizzle for a minute, and then pour in the white wine. Bring it to a simmer, and add the clams. Cover, and cook until the clams open, about five minutes; discard any that do not. Remove the clams to a large bowl with a spider strainer, and strain the cooking liquid over the top. Let it cool. Pluck the clams from their shells, and leave them in the liquid, discarding the shells.

Once the tomato mixture has thickened, add the fregola and cook until it's al dente, about 20 minutes. Stir in the clams and their liquid, and the parsley. Simmer to heat the clams through and bring all the flavors together, about two minutes. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.