Homemade Sardinian Culurgiones
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.
Servings: 6
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!