Maloreddus alla campidanese

Maloreddus are a kind of pasta typical of the island region of Sardinia. Also called gnocchetti sardi or 'little Sardinian gnocchi' after their dumpling-like shape, maloreddus are made from durum wheat flour, water, salt and—a very Sardinian touch—a pinch of ground saffron. They lend themselves to a variety of sauces but perhaps my personal favorite way to make them is alla campidanese—with an utterly simple but delicious sausage and tomato sauce that is vaguely reminiscent both of the Roman amatricana and the Neapolitan ragù.

Ingredients (for 4-6 servings)

400g (14 oz.) maloreddus

For the sauce:
200g (7 oz.) mild Italian sausage meat
Olive oil
1 garlic clove
400g (14 oz.) best-quality canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
A few fresh basil leaves (optional)
A pinch of saffron threads, ground in a mortar 
Salt and pepper to taste

To finish:
100g (3-1/2 oz.) of freshly grated pecorino cheese (preferably Sardinian)

Directions 

Remove the sausage meat from its casings and crumble the meat into a skillet with a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Allow the meat to brown lightly, breaking up the sausage meat into even smaller bits with a wooden spoon as it browns. Remove the sausage meat with a slotted spoon. 

In the fat remaining in the skillet, sauté the garlic clove, which you will have slightly crushed with the side of a knife, just until it begins to give off its aroma. Immediately add the canned tomatoes, with your hands, crushing them between your fingers as they go in. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and let the sauce simmer until it thickens nicely, about 15-20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, boil the maloreddus in abundant, well-salted water until al dente, usually about 12 minutes. Drain and add your pasta directly into the skillet and toss it all together. Add the grated pecorino and serve immediately, with more pecorino on the side for those who want some.

 

NOTES: Maloreddus are actually fairly easy to make, certainly no harder than, say regular gnocchi. You mix your dough in the usual way, using a glassful of teipd water for 400g of flour, a pinch of salt and a pinch of ground saffron. Taking a handful of the dough at a time, roll it out as you would for potato gnocchi into 'cords' but rather thinner, about the circumference of a pencil. Cut the rope at 2cm (1/2-inch) intervals and then roll the pieces using the back of your thumb, against the prongs of a fork or a gnocchi board, to create a small, ridge-backed shell-like gnocco. If you use ground saffron, your maloreddus will have a lovely golden color almost like egg pasta. But you can omit the saffron if you prefer, which is how most factory maloreddus is made.

If you can't find maloreddus in the store and don't have the time or inclination to make your own, the same sauce is perfectly delicious with more conventional stubby pastas like pennette.

 

Fregula e salsiccia

A friend recently gave me a gift of fregula, a typical Sardinian pasta. I had heard of fregula, but had never eaten it—nor did I know any recipes for preparing it, so I dove into my cookbooks and surfed the internet for more information, finding this recipe for making fregula with sausages that intrigued me.

You basically proceed as if you were making a risotto, starting with a soffritto of onion sautéed in olive oil. When the onion is translucent and quite soft, add 100g (3-1/2 oz.) of crumbled sausage meat and allow it to insaporire over moderate heat for a few minutes, until the sausage meat has lost its raw coloration without caramelizing. Then add your fregula (170g or 6 oz.) and allow it in turn to absorb the flavors of the onion and sausage for a minute or two. Then add broth to cover and simmer, covered, until the fregula has absorbed all the broth and is cooked al dente. Top with grated pecorino if you like and serve.

NOTES: Fregula, as mentioned above, is a typically Sardinian pasta made from semolina flour reminiscent of large-grained Israeli couscous, with origins in Moorish cuisine. The semolina dough is rolled into small balls and lightly toasted, which gives it a pleasantly nutty flavor. If you haven't tried it, it is definitely worth seeking out!

The best known fregula dish is fregula con arselle (the latter being tiny clams found on the beach but are rarely found these days—you can substitute small littlenecks or Manila clams). Fregula is also made with soup, in particular bean soups. This page on about.com has some interesting fregula (and other Sardinian) recipes.

You can add a bit of peperoncino to your soffritto if you like a little heat. I later found this lovely sounding recipe for fregula with sausage and leek, a bit more involved than the one above.