Malloreddus alla Campidanese Recipe
Malloreddus alla Campidanese is a traditional Sardinian pasta dish made with small, gnocchi-like pasta called malloreddus, cooked in an Italian sausage and tomato sauce. It is a true comfort meal for any Sardinian (like myself)! I hope you love our family recipe.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 400 grams Sardinian Malloreddus or Gnocchetti Sardi
- 1 pound Fresh Italian sausage ground pork sausage meat ideally with fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound-can high quality crushed tomato sauce or puree
- 5 fresh basil leaves torn by hand
- 1 pinch ground saffron optional
- 1 cup freshly grated pecorino sardo cheese or parmigiano cheese for serving
- Kosher salt for pasta water
Instructions
- If using saffron- Add the saffron to a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of water. Let sit until ready to use.
- In a large saucepan or sauté pan, on medium heat, add onion, and cook in olive oil for 1-2 minutes until translucent, then add the sausage meat and bay leaf. Cook for 10 minutes breaking up the sausage and letting it brown, stirring frequently.
- Add the tomato puree and saffron (if using) to the sausage sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fresh basil and stir to combine.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the malloreddus until al dente according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain the malloreddus, put them in the pan with the sauce, and mix until combined.
- Add grated pecorino romano cheese to the pasta and stir until it is well incorporated. Serve hot. Add additional grated cheese if desired. Buon appetito!
Notes
Tips:
- Use malloreddus for best texture.
- Add fennel seeds if using plain sausage.
- Bloom saffron in warm water before adding.
- Simmer sauce low and slow for flavor.
- Add pasta water to bind sauce.
- Finish with Pecorino Sardo.
- Let pasta rest a minute before serving.
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- Make Ahead: Cook the sausage sauce up to 2 days in advance; reheat gently before tossing with fresh pasta.
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- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water.
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- Freezing: Freeze just the sauce for up to 2 months. Cook fresh pasta when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 8g | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 837mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 2mg
