Malloreddus, also known as "gnocchetti sardi" or "Sardinian gnocchi," are a type of pasta originating from the Italian island of Sardinia.
When it comes to fresh, homemade pasta, each region of Italy has its own unique shapes and recipes. Today I'm going to show you how to make a really delicious Sardinian pasta. They are small, ridged pasta shells that are typically made from semolina flour, water, and sometimes saffron for color.
Their shape is very similar to that of gnocchi, but they are much smaller in size.
It is very easy to make malloreddus at home. All you need is a little bit of patience and the right kind of tools.
Traditionally, they were made with a special tool called "su cibiru". This is a round sieve made of small reed sticks. If you don't have this traditional tool, you can use an ordinary wooden board to make gnocchi.
The most popular recipe is Malloreddus alla Campidanese. This recipe calls for a sauce made with sausage, tomato, saffron and Sardinian pecorino cheese. Of course, you can season Malloreddus to your liking, even with vegetable or fish sauces.
Here is how to make homemade Malloreddus, a simple recipe that will give you great satisfaction. You will make a truly outstanding homemade Italian pasta with this step-by-step recipe!
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Ingredients
Prep Time: 40 Mins | Resting Time: 30 Mins | Cook Time: 5-7 Mins | Servings: 4
- 300 g (2 cups) semolina flour
- 160 ml (¾ cup) lukewarm water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
The tools you need to make Malloreddus are two:
- A pastry board to knead the dough well.
- The wooden "rigagnocchi" board to give the Malloreddus their characteristic shape.
Instructions
The Dough
Step 1) - Pour the semolina into a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Next, dissolve the fine salt in warm water. Then, a little at a time, start pouring the warm water into the center of the flour.
Step 2) - Start kneading with a fork. Then, as the dough thickens, knead by hand until the dough is soft and homogeneous. Form a loaf and let the dough rest at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap or a clean dish towel, for about 30 minutes.
NOTE: If the dough is too stiff, add a teaspoon of water. Or a teaspoon of semolina if the dough is too soft. The important thing is that the final dough is dry and firm and does not stick to your fingers.
The Shape
Step 3) - After the resting time, take the dough and place it on a floured pastry board. Using a tarot, divide the dough into small pieces.
Step 4) - Using your hands, roll each piece of dough into long, thin ropes. Cut each rope into many small pieces about 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick.
NOTE: Remember that malloreddus are very small, no more than 2 cm (0.8 inch) long. So make very tiny pieces of dough. This aspect requires some patience and is the only difficulty in this recipe.
Take the special tool for making malloreddus by hand, flour it, and then pass all the pieces of dough through it. Press down with your thumb as you roll the piece of dough on the tool. This will give you the classic ridged shape with a hollow, which is the secret to making all kinds of sauces stick best!
Place the malloreddus on a semolina-dusted tray and cover with a dish towel until ready to use.
The Cooking
Drop into boiling salted water and cook for about 5-6 minutes - they will remain al dente and are perfect for seasoning. Malloreddus are perfect with meat, fish or vegetable sauces, depending on your taste.
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Storage
If you're not going to cook them right away, you can put them on a tray and store them in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Alternatively, you can FREEZE them. Place them on a tray with enough space between them and put them in the freezer. After about an hour, they will have frozen a bit. Then you can transfer them to freezer bags, which are more convenient. Put the frozen malloreddus back in the freezer. They will keep for 2-3 months.
It's not necessary to thaw the Malloreddus before cooking, but you can put them directly into boiling salted water while still frozen. In this case, the cooking time may be a little longer.
Variations
MALLOREDDUS WITH SAFFRON: As mentioned in the introduction, the most popular recipe is Malloreddus alla Campidanese.
Originally, a pinch of saffron was added to the malloreddus dough for this recipe, not just to the sauce. Nowadays, however, this ingredient is omitted to make the malloreddus pasta more versatile and suitable for different recipes.
But if you want to prepare homemade Malloreddus to cook them Campidanese style, you can add 1 sachet of saffron powder (0.15 grams = ⅛ teaspoon) to the lukewarm water with the salt.
You will have bright yellow Malloreddus and you will have respected the ancient Campidanese tradition!
Malloreddus Recipes
Malloreddus are perfect with rich sauces because the shape of the pasta allows the sauce to collect well. Of course, you can eat them with meat, fish or vegetable sauces.
They are also very good simply with fresh tomatoes and grated Sardinian pecorino or ricotta salata. Each area of Sardinia has its own characteristic recipe for malloreddus. Let's see some of them:
Malloreddus alla Campidanese: This recipe, which we have already mentioned, is certainly the most famous even outside Sardinia. It comes from Campidano, a vast plain in the south of Sardinia. Here the malloreddus, strictly homemade, are accompanied by a sauce made with sausage, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. A special ingredient in this recipe is saffron. It is a dish with a very strong taste and not particularly light, which is why it is often served during holiday dinners.
Malloreddus alla Carlofortina: The flavors of the sea and the land come together in this recipe, which originated on the island of San Pietro or Carloforte. In fact, this dish is prepared with tuna (strictly fresh) and homemade pesto and small, round, ripe tomatoes. Because of their fresh taste, malloreddus alla carlofortina are very popular in summer, to be eaten outdoors after a day at the beach.
Gallura-style Malloreddus: From Gallura comes this particular dish of rural origin. Here, the malloreddus are flavored with "purpuzza", or minced pork, and a generous amount of Sardinian pecorino cheese. This recipe exists both with and without tomatoes ("white" version).
The Meaning of the Name
There are two hypotheses about the meaning and the origin of the name "Malloreddus".
According to some, "malloreddu" (plural "malloreddus") could come from the Latin "mallolus", which means "gnocco - dumpling".
Another theory is that the name comes from "malloru", which means "bull" in Campidanese, the typical dialect of southern Sardinia. And Malloreddu would be "little bull", so "veal or little calf".
A name that certainly originated in peasant circles, among the housewives of the time, to indicate the pot-bellied and small form.
Recipe Card
Homemade Malloreddus Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g semolina flour 2 cups
- 160 ml water ¾ cup, lukewarm
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
THE DOUGH
- Pour the semolina into a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Next, dissolve the fine salt in warm water. Then, a little at a time, start pouring the warm water into the center of the flour.
- Start kneading with a fork. Then, as the dough thickens, knead by hand until the dough is soft and homogeneous.
- Form a loaf and let the dough rest at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap or a clean dish towel, for about 30 minutes.
THE SHAPE
- After the resting time, take the dough and place it on a floured pastry board. Using a tarot, divide the dough into small pieces.
- Using your hands, roll each piece of dough into long, thin ropes. Cut each rope into many small pieces about 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick.
- Take the special tool for making malloreddus by hand, flour it, and then pass all the pieces of dough through it. Press down with your thumb as you roll the piece of dough on the tool. This will give you the classic ridged shape with a hollow, which is the secret to making all kinds of sauces stick best! Place the malloreddus on a semolina-dusted tray and cover with a dish towel until ready to use.
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