Malloreddus

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Gnocchi board (rigagnocchi) or ridged butter paddle
• •Bench scraper for cutting dough
• •Large wooden board or clean work surface
• •Sheet pan for drying
• •Plastic wrap for resting dough

Instructions

1. 1

   Bloom the saffron

   Warm the water until it steams but does not boil. Crumble the saffron threads between your fingers and drop them into the water. Let this steep for at least 15 minutes. The water will turn deep gold, almost orange. This is the color of Sardinian pasta, and you cannot rush it. The saffron must release its pigment and perfume completely.

2. 2

   Make the dough

   Mound the semolina on a wooden board or clean work surface. Make a well in the center. Add the salt to the saffron water and pour it into the well. Using a fork, begin drawing flour from the inner walls of the well into the liquid, stirring continuously. When the mixture becomes too thick to stir, switch to your hands. Bring the dough together, incorporating all the flour. It will feel rough and dry at first. This is correct for semolina dough.

   Semolina dough feels nothing like egg pasta dough. It is stiffer, grainier, and resists your hands. Do not add more water unless the dough absolutely refuses to come together after several minutes of kneading.
3. 3

   Knead until smooth

   Knead the dough firmly for 10 to 12 minutes. Push it away from you with the heel of your hand, fold it back, turn it a quarter, and repeat. The dough will transform from rough and crumbly to smooth and supple. When finished, it should feel like firm clay and spring back slowly when pressed. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This rest is not optional. The gluten must relax or the dough will fight you during shaping.

4. 4

   Prepare the shaping surface

   You need a ridged surface. A gnocchi board (rigagnocchi) is ideal and costs very little. The back of a butter paddle works. In Sardinia, they use a small woven basket called a ciuliri, which creates the traditional pattern. Dust your work surface and the ridged board lightly with semolina. Have a sheet pan dusted with semolina ready to receive the finished pasta.

5. 5

   Form the ropes

   Cut the rested dough into four pieces. Keep three pieces covered while you work with one. Roll the dough piece into a rope about half an inch thick. The thickness matters: too thick and the pasta will be gummy in the center, too thin and the ridges will not form properly. Cut the rope into pieces roughly half an inch long. Each piece should be about the size of a chickpea.

6. 6

   Shape the malloreddus

   Place one dough piece on the ridged surface. Using your thumb, press down firmly and drag the dough toward you in one motion. The pasta should curl around your thumb as it slides across the ridges, forming a small shell with grooves on the outside and a hollow interior. The motion is press, drag, release. Each malloreddu takes perhaps two seconds once you learn the rhythm.

   Your first attempts will look misshapen. This is how learning works. By your twentieth, the motion will feel natural. By your fiftieth, you will not need to think. The shape does not need to be perfect. Uniform size matters more than beauty because it ensures even cooking.
7. 7

   Dry the pasta

   Transfer the shaped malloreddus to the semolina-dusted sheet pan in a single layer. They should not touch. Continue with the remaining dough. Let the pasta dry at room temperature for at least one hour before cooking. For longer storage, dry completely (several hours) and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

8. 8

   Cook the malloreddus

   Bring abundant salted water to a rolling boil. The water should taste like the sea. Add the malloreddus and stir immediately to prevent sticking. Fresh malloreddus cook in 3 to 4 minutes. Dried ones take 8 to 10. They are done when tender throughout but with pleasant resistance. Bite one to check. Drain and sauce immediately. These are traditionally served with sausage ragù, tomato and saffron sauce, or simply with aged pecorino and olive oil.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out semola rimacinata, the finely ground durum wheat semolina. Coarse semolina makes shaping difficult and produces grainy pasta. Italian grocers and online sources carry it. Do not substitute all-purpose flour.
• •Sardinian saffron from San Gavino Monreale is extraordinary if you can find it. Spanish saffron works well. Iranian saffron works. What does not work is powdered saffron or 'saffron flavoring,' which contain turmeric and little else.
• •If the dough cracks when you try to shape it, it is too dry. Knead in a few drops of water. If it sticks to the board and your thumb, it is too wet. Knead in a bit more semolina. Semolina dough is forgiving once you learn to read it.
• •Malloreddus pair traditionally with ragù alla Campidanese: pork sausage, tomato, and saffron. They also take well to simple sauces of aged pecorino, black pepper, and olive oil. The ridges demand a sauce that clings.

Advance Preparation

• •The shaped malloreddus can be dried completely at room temperature (4 to 6 hours, depending on humidity) and stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. They will keep even longer but may become brittle.
• •For longer storage, freeze the shaped pasta on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to freezer bags. Cook directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the cooking time.
• •The dough can be made, wrapped, and refrigerated overnight before shaping. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 155g)