Description
Malloreddus Fresh Pasta Lisa 500gr
Malloreddus, also known as ‘little Sardinian gnocchi’ is one of the oldest types of pasta in Sardinian cuisine. Even though some Italians refer to it as gnocchi from Sardinia (gnoccheti sardi), this pasta gets its name from its shape, rather than the ingredients used to make it.
Malloreddus is a durum wheat semolina pasta that is very traditional in Sardinia. In fact, it’s one of the oldest types of Sardinian pasta, said to date back centuries.
There are different opinions on the origins of the name. I have read that ‘malloreddu’ comes from the Latin mallolus and means morsel or little bits.
History and Tradition
Malloreddus is the most prepared pasta in Sardinia for special occasions such as holidays, village festivals, and weddings. In the past, it was traditional for a bride to bring a basket of homemade malloreddus to her new husband’s house, and they would eat the pasta together from a shared plate.
Sardinians traditionally hand-rolled the pieces of dough on a round reed basket called ‘ciuliri’ in the local dialect. Nowadays, most people use a small wooden board that looks like a gnocchi board. However, this is actually called a malloreddus board and is slightly different to the gnocchi one. Although, you can use either.
Ingredients to Make Mallloreddus
Sardinians make malloreddus using simple ingredients: durum wheat semolina flour (semola di grano duro in Italian), water, and occasionally, a pinch of saffron. The semolina flour has a high gluten content, which helps shape the pasta to its unique shape.
Malloreddus pasta is served with a variety of sauces and there are many recipes for this pasta. Perhaps the most well-known is ‘malloreddus alla campidanese’, a delicious fennel sausage, saffron and tomato sauce that is similar in taste to both Roman amatricana and Neapolitan ragù.