Culurgiones · Culurgiones d'Ogliastra
Sardinia · pasta · serves 4 · 150 min total · hard
From the Ogliastra mountains — the pleated seam is a closely guarded technique, taught hand-to-hand. The shape is said to bring good harvest.
Ingredients
- 400 g semola rimacinata
- 190 ml warm water
- 600 g floury potatoes
- 150 g Pecorino Sardo, grated
- 1 handful fresh mint
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 300 g tomato sauce
- 1 handful basil
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- Boil potatoes whole in skins until tender. Peel and rice while warm.
- Combine potato with pecorino, finely chopped mint, mashed garlic, salt. The filling should be firm.
- Knead semolina with water and a pinch of salt for 8 minutes — should be smooth, firm. Rest 30 minutes.
- Roll dough thin (1.5 mm). Cut 7 cm rounds.
- Place a walnut of filling. Close in the signature spighetta (little ear) pleat — pinch alternately right-left along the seam to make a braided wheat-ear shape.
- Boil in salted water 5 minutes.
- Toss with a simple tomato-basil sauce. Pecorino on top.