Homemade Sardinian Culurgiones (or culurgionis) are our favorite homemade stuffed pasta from Sardinia. Traditionally filled with mashed potatoes, pecorino, and fresh mint. Served with a quick and simple homemade tomato sauce, this is perfect for a lazy Sunday lunch.
The pasta dough, filling and sauce are easy to put together. It’s the shaping of the dumplings that is sort of tricky. Culurgiones are similar to ravioli, but not exactly the same. A pasta dumpling that is braided and supposed to look like a wheat grain.
Trust me, it takes multiple (and I mean, multiple!) attempts to get the braiding the dough together and perfect. If you grew up with a nonna from Sardegna (in English, it's Sardinia), you might be lucky and got to learn how to shape these delightful dumplings.
Or, you could make them over and over again, and perfect them on your own.
These delightful dumplings are so iconic to Sardegna, they were awarded PGI status (the Protected Geographical Indication) by the EU in 2015. That means this is a very special recipe.
The pasta is closed around the filling "a spighitta", which means to make it look like a wheat grain.Once the dumplings are ready, they are boiled.
Put together a quick tomato sauce, and serve it with some fresh basil. A little grating of Pecorino (lucky you, if you can find some Pecorino Sardo from Sardegna!)and enjoy! (I didn't take any photos of it with the grated cheese on it...but trust me, it is excellent with grated Pecorino!).
And as it is with so many traditional Italian recipes, it will vary from town to town. It could vary even from family to family.
I’m not even going to tell you how long ago it was when I made this pasta. Being too picky, I wasn’t even satisfied with how they looked for the photos, so I never even posted them. But, they were too delicious to not share here!
When I was recently in Aosta, Italy, I was spending some time with a friend from Sardegna. Her dad raises sheep and he makes his own Pecorino Sardo. I was fortunate to be able to try her dad’s homemade cheese, and the flavor was out of this world!
She talked to me all about their town, and their life in Sardegna and how much she misses living there. Just one bite of her dad’s special cheese brought me all the way there to her life and I remembered I had made this special pasta!
When you’re just starting out making homemade pasta, you need patience, a lot of patience! So, don’t rush the process. Just set aside some time. Make it a Sunday project with your kids or grandkids (or nieces + nephews) and build some pasta making memories together. Like I did as a kid making pasta with my mom and nonna!
What ingredients are in culurgiones?
For the pasta:
semolina flour
00 flour or all-purpose flour
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt
For the filling:
Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
extra-virgin olive oil
garlic clove
grated Pecorino Romano or Pecorino Sardo
egg
extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
For the tomato sauce:
extra-virgin olive oil
onion
tomatoes or use a can of plum tomatoes (San Marzano is best)
sea salt
How to make culurgiones?
The first step is to make the pasta dough. It’s a simple dough that comes together with semolina flour and all-purpose flour (or 00 flour, if you can get some), water, a little oil and salt.
I used my food processor to make the dough. But you could use your mixer with the dough hook attached or even make the whole thing on a clean counter.
Wrap up the dough (I divided it into two portions)and let it chill in the fridge. While the dough rests, get onto making the filling. You boil the potatoes and mash them (preferably with a rice masher).
The potatoes are combined with extra-virgin olive oil, Pecorino cheese, garlic, salt (pepper, if you like)and fresh mint (if you like). I omitted the mint, as my kids would not have been too excited about that flavor.
While the dough is resting, you cook up the quick tomato sauce. I used fresh tomatoes and make a very simple sauce (here's a recipe I shared of a grated fresh tomato sauce...so easy to make!), but you could also make this easy homemade tomato sauce with canned tomatoes.
Set aside the sauce when it's ready and prep the dumplings.
I rolled it out on a lightly floured work surface. You could use a pasta machine to roll out sections.
A small glass could be used to cut out the circles. Or any other round cutter that you have for pasta.
Once they were all cut out, begin to stuff them with the potato filling.
I was doing this big project all alone, so there were no videos or photos of how I braided. I did my best to make them look like what I found on videos online.
The dumplings weren't absolutely perfect, but they were sealed nicely together.
Funny enough, I'm not too sure how I got them all together, but it was a great challenge and I enjoyed the whole process. I loved them all lined up together.
Boil the water for the culurgiones. Salt the water and add in the pasta.
The pasta doesn't take long to cook up. Lift out the dumplings with a slotted spoon (draining all the water with each one)and add to the skillet with the sauce. Let it simmer together for a minute or two to combine with the sauce.
Serve with fresh basil leaves and grate on some Pecorino (or Parmigiano-Reggiano).
What variables can affect dough?
Whenever you make any sort of pasta dough, humidity and temperature can affect the end result. Be prepared to make slight adjustments as you make your homemade pasta dough.
You may need a little more flour as you’re kneading the dough. Or the dough could be too dry and you may need to add a bit of water. The end result should be a dough that is smooth and supple. It will feel silky and not sticky when you touch it.
What other names are there for this stuffed Sardinian pasta?
Culurgiones also could be called “culingionis” or even “culurzones.”
How big are Sardinian culurgiones?
As I mentioned before, they’re similar to making ravioli. You are cutting out dough disks and when they are stuffed, they should be about 2-4 inches long, and 1-2 inches wide (depending on how big your dough disks are cut out). Unlike ravioli, the closure is much different.
Can I make culurgiones with only semolina flour?
Yes, you can! Typically, it is made using only semolina. I liked using all-purpose and semolina together. But use only semolina, if you prefer.
Can I add onion to the filling instead of garlic?
Yes, in some regions, they use onion. I used garlic (which is what I found on most of the recipes I came across being used in the filling).
What are the different versions of Sardinian Culurgiones?
In the Ogliastra and Barbagia regions of central Sardinia, they are filled with a soft cheese called fisidu.
In the south of Sardinia, they could be found filled with ricotta, goat (or sheep)meat, saffron, spinach and fresh basil. In Seui, they are filled with cas’e fitta, which is a fresh Sardinian cheese that is stored in salt water, but does not taste even one bit like feta cheese.
In Villagrande Strisaili, they fry the culurgiones instead of boiling them.
When do they eat culurgiones in Sardegna?
You’ll find culurgiones in some towns for The Feast of the Assumption (August 15th, which is also the Italian holiday of Ferragosto ) and on All Saints’ Day (1st November).
In the town of Ulassai, they were typically eaten on November 2nd, the Day of the Dead. Other places in Sardinia where they can be found is Jerzu, Lotzorai, Osini and Villagrande Strisaili.
How to store leftovers
Store any leftover culurgiones in an airtight container or a large zipped lock freezer bag. They can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 2 months. Just be sure to boil and let the dumplings cool down before you freeze them.
Some other pasta recipes to enjoy:
- Pasta with Zucchini and Potatoes
- Homemade Pumpkin Pappardelle
- Beet and Potato Gnocchi
- Homemade Fettuccine
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Homemade Sardinian Culurgiones
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 2 cup semolina flour
- 1 cup 00 flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup warm water
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- For the filling:
- 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Pecorino Sardo
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- For the tomato sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 lbs juicy ripe tomatoes or use a can of plum tomatoes (San Marzano is best)
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
- CULURGIONES DOUGH
- Make dough with stand mixer: Combine your semolina flour, flour (00 or all-purpose) water, extra-virgin olive oil and salt in a mixer with the paddle or dough hook attachment on. Mix on medium-low until smooth, for about 7 minutes. You could also place it in a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Make the dough by hand: Place the flour and salt on a clean working surface. Make a well in the middle of the flour. Add in the water and extra-virgin olive oil. Use a fork to start to combine the ingredients together. Use your clean hands to work the dough together. Hold the dough with one hand and fold over the other portion of dough with your other hand.
- Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand. Keep doing this movement pushing the dough away from you.
- Continue kneading until the dough is very smooth and supple. Add a little bit of flour if it is too sticky.
- Make dough with food processor: In a food processor, pulse together flour and salt. Add in water and extra-virgin olive oil and run the machine until the dough holds together. If the dough looks dry, add a teaspoon of water. If the dough seems too wet, add a bit of flour a tablespoon at a time.
- Turn out the dough onto a clean counter (or whatever work surface you are using, I use my big wooden board).
- Hold the dough with one hand and fold over the other portion of dough with your other hand.
- Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand. Keep doing this movement pushing the dough away from you.
- Continue kneading until the dough is very smooth and supple. Add a little bit of flour if it is too sticky.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes *I divided the dough into two sections and wrapped in plastic wrap. (you could even let the dough rest overnight and use the next day).
- While the dough is resting, prepare the filling and the sauce.
- CULURGIONES FILLING:
- Add the potatoes to a large pot of boiling water. Drain the potatoes and place in a bowl. Mash them while they’re still hot (you could mash them with a potato ricer).
- While the potatoes are cooking, add the crushed garlic in a small bowl with the olive oil. Let the garlic infuse the oil. As soon as the potatoes mashed, discard the garlic.
- Add to the masted potatoes the garlic infused extra-virgin olive oil and the grated cheese. Stir to combine. Stir in the lightly beaten egg. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper (if you’re using). Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed, and set aside the filling to cool down.
- MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE:
- Chop the tomatoes into small pieces (you could discard the seeds, totally up to you).
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering. Add chopped onions, saute 2-3 minutes, until translucent.
- Add in the tomatoes (if you're using canned tomatoes, instead of fresh, add them in, breaking them up with a wooden spoon and follow rest of sauce directions).
- Bring the sauce to a boil and stir with a wooden spoon to stir.
- Once the sauce comes to a boil for a few minutes, lower heat to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is slightly thickened, 5–10 minutes. Season with the salt, and let the sauce cook and thicken.
- Check the consistency of sauce. If it’s getting too thick, add a little bit of water (start with a ¼ cup).
- Let sauce simmer for 20 minutes total. Check the salt and add more if needed.
- While the sauce is simmering, form and cook the pasta.
- FORM THE CULURGIONES
- Separate the dough into 6 sections. Start with the first section (cover the other sections until ready to roll them out).
- Roll out the first section into a ⅛” layer. Cut out 3” discs (I used a small glass to cut out my discs, you could also use a ring mold to cut out the discs).
- Place cut out disks of pasta on a lightly flour-dusted sheet tray and cover with a clean dish towel while rolling and cutting the remaining dough.
- Spoon out about a tablespoon of the potato filling and place in the center of each disc. Bring the edges of dough together into a half moon shape. Fold the edges of the disc with a gentle pinch.
- Push and gently pinch the fold toward the filling, alternating sides going up like a zipper (it takes practice, the most important thing is to be sure the filling isn’t exposed). One final pinch when you reach the top of the dumpling to make sure it’s sealed together.
- COOK THE CULURGIONES
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the culurgiones, adding them in batches to the boiling water (you don’t want them too crowded) and as cook until they float to the top, about 4-5 minutes.
- Drain them with a slotted spoon. Add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce and combine for one minute on a medium heat with the sauce.
- SERVE CULURGIONES
- Serve the culurgiones with fresh basil and grated Pecorino cheese. Enjoy!
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Anne says
I wanted you to know that I took the chance to make these dumplings, and they are delicious! I'm not sure if they looked as pretty as yours, but they sure did taste wonderful!