Doughs: Saffron Dough Durum Wheat & Water Dough
Sauces:
What they are
Also called gnocchetti sardi (“little Sardinian gnocchi”), malloreddus have much more in common with cavatelli than any potato dumpling. The technique is almost the same as the “little hollows,” though they run smaller and the dough is often turned gold with a pinch of saffron. In centuries past, the signature ribbed exterior was made by rolling the pasta across a wicker basket or textured glass; today, specific paddles with wide wavy ridges are also sold, though a gnocchi board or any of the household items mentioned for cavatelli can be used here, too.
How they’re traditionally served
With a tomatoey sausage ragù (alla campidanese); bottarga (cured fish roe) and clams; fresh tomatoes and basil; and often with local sheep’s milk cheeses.
MAKE THE DOUGH
Make your dough of choice and let it rest, tightly covered, at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
SET UP YOUR WORKSPACE
Dust a sheet pan with semolina or line it with a dry dishcloth. Gather your tools.
ROLL THE DOUGH INTO A ROPE
Cut off a slice of dough, about the width of one or two fingers. Keep the rest covered.
Roll the dough into a rope, about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, or the thickness of a pencil. Start in the center and use your fingers or the palms of your hands to roll the dough, first back and forth, until the surface is smooth, and then outward in opposite directions, eventually making your way toward the ends. If the dough slides and it’s difficult to get a grip, wet your hands a little and try again. The rope does not need to be perfectly even.
CUT THE ROPE INTO PIECES
Cut the rope into ¾-inch (2-cm) pellets.
MAKE THE MALLOREDDUS
If using a gnocchi board, follow the cavatelli dough-rolling step using your thumb, a table knife, or a bench scraper.
If using a malloreddus paddle, hold the handle in your non-dominant hand with the face of the paddle tilting downward—the grooves should face you and travel north to south. Use the thumb of your other hand to roll a nugget of dough across the ridges, with generous pressure, starting at the area closest to you and pushing it away from you, until it curls over once and the grooves are deeply imprinted.
Arrange the finished malloreddus in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining pieces, and then the remaining dough. You can leave the pasta uncovered at room temperature until you’re done, up to 5 hours.
COOK THE PASTA
Cook the malloreddus until tender but with some bite, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on their thickness and drying time.
