Sardinia, an island in the midst of the Mediterranean Sea, is typically meant for food, family and tradition. The heritage and the culture of the people reflect on their language, music and cuisine as they are still rooted to the ancient times.
Dishes vary from area to area presenting a taste of their customs and values. The tangy peppery recipes generally includes fish and seafood, handmade pastas, flavourful sausages, baked pies, different succulent fillings, cheese, soups, wines and numerous delicacies.
What is Malloreddus?
When it comes to name, the Malloreddus is of Latin origin “malleolus” meaning “small morsel,” but this Italian dish is best known for the Sardinian cuisine. This Sardinian pasta is about 2cm in length, made from Semolina flour and water. It comes in both saffron flavour dough and plain dough pasta and tastes delicious when eaten with various sauces.
Being the traditional dish of Sardinia, Malloreddus is prepared in almost every occasion, parties, festivals and celebrations. It is often referred to as “gnocchi” or “gnocchetti” in Italian and cigiones or ciciones in Sassari.
How it is made?
The pasta comes in the shape of striped shells almost 1 inch long and ¼ inch wide. These are hand made by the group of artisans living in the small village of Morgongiori in mid-South Sardinia. The process involves mixing the Semolina wheat, water and a little salt, which results in creating a moist, soft dough.
The dough is further stretched into strips and rolled to a length of 15cm. The pasta is cut into cubes and pressed against the ciuliri (the sieve or the riddle) thus giving them the circular shape.
How it is cooked?
Cooking is plain and easy. It is sold dry and is cooked as you would cook any regular pasta. Simply boil this pasta in plenty of hot salt water and serve with yummy sauces varying from thick tomato to butter or pecorino with pieces of meat and saffron toppings. Saffron is added to enhance a deep rich flavour and provides a brilliant light golden colour.
Origin
The origin of Malloreddus dates back in history and has been prepared by early women. Italian cuisine is known for the flavourful spices and the passionate food bakers. Its origin is mainly based on the cultivation of wheat in the Mediterranean regions, thus is became a traditional food for the folk in every kitchen.
Recipe
Malloreddus have been used in varieties and created some of the top most dishes. The names and the ingredients are given below.
Malloreddus alla Campidanese- This is a typical example of the Sardinian cuisine made with fresh sausage, tomato puree, virgin olive oil, basil leaves, garlic, onion, saffron and grated pecorino cheese and salt. The cooking is quite simple which involves boiling the Malloreddus in salted water and adding sauce and cheese to it after it is drained and kept in a pan. Create a thick broth adding sausage, tomato puree, garlic, salt and sugar and cook for 30 min. Put basil and saffron dissolve in warm water and add them to the thick broth. Serve this platter with a glass of wine and relish the moment.
Malloreddus made with bacon, peas, chilli, Courgette & Parmesan- It is as plain as it sounds. Prepare the sauce with chopped chill, oregano, courgette, grated parmesan and thick slices of bacon. Sauté the bacon in a pan and add peas, courgette, oregano and chilli when the bacon turns brown. Make your dish complete by pouring the sauce over the pasta and season it to serve.
Malloreddus with fennel and sausage- The ingredients required for this are pork sausage, fennel seeds, fennel bulb, white wine, cheese, saffron, olive oil, pepper and salt. Cook onion, fennel and fennel seeds in olive oil at a medium heat and the sausage meat and leave it till it becomes dark. Add white wine, salt and pepper to it. Boil the Malloreddus and mix with the sauce and your dish is ready!
