How to make Sardinian gnocchi, Malloreddus, with durum wheat semolina flour, water, and salt. They are also called "gnocchetti sardi" because they are tiny gnocchi typical of the island of Sardinia. Their texture is firmer and toothier than regular potato gnocchi. Let's make them together.
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Sardinian gnocchi, Malloreddus
Malloreddus are gnocchi from Sardinia (Sardegna), the second largest island in the Mediterranean, off the west coast of Italy. They are tiny gnocchi, hence the name "gnocchetti" (pronounced niokkettee), made of durum wheat semolina flour (in Italian "semola rimacinata"), warm water, and salt. No eggs in this type of gnocchi. Saffron is sometimes added to the water to give them a light yellow color and a lovely flavor. In Sardinia, saffron-flavored gnocchi were reserved for the Sunday meal, while the regular ones were for the everyday meal.
How to make Sardinian gnocchi
In the end, you can make the dough in the food processor, or in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. However, I like kneading by hand on a wood board, especially when the quantities are small.
- In a large bowl, or directly onto the work surface, add the semolina flour and form a well. I use the bottom of the bowl to form the well.
- Add the salt to the warm water and mix, then, pour the water into the center of the well.
- Using a fork, or your hands, slowly start to incorporate the flour into the water working from the center out, to form a rough dough. Add a little water if the dough is too dry or a dusting of flour if it seems too wet.
- Lightly flour the work surface and place your dough onto the flour.
- Knead the dough until smooth and it springs back when you press a finger into it, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Wrap it well in plastic wrap or a linen towel and allow to rest for half an hour.
Rolling and shaping
Truly, all you need is a bench scraper or a knife, a gnocchi board, whichever you have, or even a fork, furthermore, a baking sheet lined with a towel or semolina flour.
- Cut a slice of dough at a time and keep the rest covered. Roll the piece into a thin rope, about 1 cm round.
- With a bench scraper, or a knife, cut the rope into little pieces, about 2 cm. Dust some semolina flour on top.
- Take the morsel of dough and press it firmly with your thumb against a gnocchi board or the back tines of a fork, rolling the dough down the board or fork as you pull it along to create a ridged oval shape. Continue doing this with the remaining dough.
- Lightly dust a baking sheet with semolina flour, or a towel, and place the malloreddus on, not overlapping. Keep them uncovered so they dry out a bit.
Can you freeze these?
As a matter of fact, yes, you can freeze Sardinian gnocchi, Malloreddus, flat on a baking sheet and then store them in an air-tight container for up to 1 month. Cook from frozen in salted boiling water, allowing a few more minutes of cooking time.
How to cook them
Cook the Sardinian gnocchi in a large pot with plenty of boiling salted water. Once they have risen to the surface, leave them to cook for a few more minutes, 5 to 8 minutes total. They are firmer and toothier than regular gnocchi. You can taste one and take them out according to your liking. Finish them in the pan on low heat with the sauce.
Best sauces for Sardinian gnocchi, Malloreddus
Definitely, the most typical sauce for Sardinian gnocchi, Malloreddus, is a sausage ragù, called "alla Campidanese".
However, they are also great dressed in a simple tomato basil sauce, or done "alla Sorrentina", that is baked with mozzarella and tomato sauce.
Moreover, you can use this type of gnocchi in Pasta e fagioli with mussels, or "all'Amatriciana", and also in a white Zucchini and mushroom sauce.
Buon appetito!
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How to make Sardinian gnocchi, Malloreddus
How to make Sardinian gnocchi, Malloreddus, with durum wheat semolina flour, water, and salt. They are also called "gnocchetti sardi" because they are tiny gnocchi typical of the island of Sardinia. Their texture is firmer and toothier than regular potato gnocchi.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 200 g durum wheat semolina flour (semola rimacinata, in Italian)
- 110 g warm water
- 4 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, or directly onto the work surface, pour the semolina flour and form a well.
- Add the salt to the warm water and mix, then, pour the water into the center of the well.
- Using a fork, or your hands, slowly start to incorporate the flour into the water working from the center out, to form a rough dough. Add a little water if the dough is too dry or a dusting of flour if it seems too wet.
- Lightly flour the work surface and place the dough onto the flour.
- Knead the dough until smooth and it springs back when you press a finger into it, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Wrap it well in plastic wrap or a linen towel and allow to rest for ½ an hour.
- Cut a slice of dough at a time and keep the rest covered. Roll the piece into a thin rope, about 1 cm round.
- With a bench scraper, or a knife, cut the rope into little pieces, about 2 cm. Dust some semolina flour on top.
- Take the morsel of dough and press it firmly with your thumb against a gnocchi board or the back tines of a fork, rolling the dough down the board or fork as you pull it along to create a ridged oval shape. Continue doing this with the remaining dough.
- Lightly dust a baking sheet with semolina flour and place the malloreddus on, not overlapping. Keep them uncovered so they dry out a bit.
Notes
Sardinian gnocchi, Malloreddus, can be frozen flat on a baking sheet and then stored in an air-tight container for up to 1 month. Cook from frozen in salted boiling water. They will take a few more minutes to cook.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Pasta, Vegan
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: homemade pasta, italian, pasta, vegan, semolina, water, salt, sardinian, gnocchi, malloreddus
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Noelle says
A staple homemade gnocchi recipe. Thank you for the awesome visual guide—helps so much when trying to figure out portion sizes!
★★★★★
You're welcome! Hope you find it easy to follow and make some gnocchi!
Sharon says
I loved this tutorial on how to make Sardinian gnocchi but also the history behind it. Will be adding this to many dishes going forward.
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Thank you! Have fun making gnocchi!
Jim Delaney says
Buongiorno Nicoletta, These perfect little morsels are so cute! Will definitely try this recipe. Thanks for a great post.
Grazie, Jim! Let me know how it goes if you make them, or if you need anything. Happy pasta making!
Colleen says
Thanks to your detailed and helpful instructions, my Sardinian gnocchi turned out perfectly. It was delicious with a simple tomato basil sauce. Thank you!
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Thank you for the feedback! A simple tomato basil sauce is our favorite!
Cathleen says
I've been meaning to make my own gnocchi, so I am so excited to try this recipe this weekend. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
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Thank you! These are nt regular potato gnocchi, but they are a good start and quite delicious. Let me now how it goes!
Kathryn says
Gnocchi is my favorite pasta and I love your easy recipe. Such a great meal to make for the family. Thank you!
★★★★★
Thank you! You can never have enough gnocchi recipe and these are a little different than regular potato gnocchi, but still great!
Veronika says
These are such a fun cross between pasta and gnocchi! We love regular gnocchi and these were a really delicious kind to try. Made it with creamy pasta sauce.
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Thanks! Yes, they're toothsome like dry pasta and satisfying like gnocchi. Happy you enjoyed them!
veenaazmanov says
Thanks for all the detailing. This would definitely be my first attempt to making some healthy gnocchi.
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Hope you try them! Not too difficult and very delicious.
Jamie says
Wow! This is totally great and so cool! I love making stuff from dough! This will be my next project! Will stock this one too! Thanks for sharing this with us! Loved it!
★★★★★
You're welcome! Making homemade pasta is my joyful activity 😉 . Enjoy!
Amy Casey says
Thanks for the tip on how to freeze the pasta. I made a double batch. We had some for dinner and I froze the rest. It'll be perfect for quick dinners with my homemade basil marinara sauce.
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Thank you! Yes, perfect to have some frozen, ready for busy weeknights 😉 .
Jacqueline Debono says
I love making homemade malloreddus and serve them with many traditional recipes like the alla campidanese you mentioned. Did you know that apparently, there was a Sardinian tradition that a bride would bring a basket of homemade malloreddus to the house of her new husband and they ate the saffron-infused pasta together from a shared plate!
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One of our favorite sauces is a simple heirloom tomato and basil quick sauce. With plenty of Pecorino. Amazing! Yes, I had read that, quite the traditions we have in Italy, Regione per Regione 😉 .
Erin says
I followed your recipe exactly and they came out just like in your photos! They are so incredibly tasty and much better than store-bought. Thanks!
★★★★★
Much better! Thank you so much for trying!
Amy Liu Dong says
I have never done this before and I want to try it at home.
Making anything homemade makes my heart so happy!
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