Culurgiones
culurgionis
Sardinian pasta dumplings sealed with a distinctive wheat-ear braid, traditionally filled with potato, pecorino, and mint.
About this dish
Sardinian pasta dumplings sealed with a distinctive wheat-ear braid, traditionally filled with potato, pecorino, and mint. The recipe here chooses one named variation from that wider tradition; household fillings, shapes and serving styles may differ.
Recipe
Sardinian potato, pecorino and mint culurgiones
Dough
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g fine semolina
- 155 ml water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Filling
- 500 g cooked peeled potatoes
- 100 g Pecorino Sardo, grated
- 10 mint leaves, minced
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Sauce
- 400 g passata
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1
Dough: 150 g all-purpose flour; 150 g fine semolina; 155 ml water; plus the remaining ingredients listed for this component. Knead dough ingredients and rest covered 30 minutes. Add water gradually, knead firm and smooth and cover the rest.
- 2
Filling: 500 g cooked peeled potatoes; 100 g Pecorino Sardo, grated; 10 mint leaves, minced; plus the remaining ingredients listed for this component. Warm filling oil with garlic, then remove garlic. Mash potatoes and mix with flavored oil, pecorino, mint and pepper; cool. Use low heat for garlic infusion, dry potato mash and an evenly mixed filling; cool before wrapping.
- 3
Sauce: 400 g passata; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 garlic clove, crushed; plus the remaining ingredients listed for this component. Simmer sauce ingredients 15 minutes. Roll dough thin and cut 9 cm circles. Simmer sauce gently and roll small dough batches about 1-2 mm thick with the rest covered.
- 4
Add filling and hold each circle like a small cup. Alternately pinch and fold small sections of left and right edges toward the center, working from one end to the other to form a wheat-ear seam. Keep filling below rim and firmly pinch each alternating fold to the last; braid must seal, not merely decorate.
- 5
Boil gently 5-7 minutes until dough is tender and serve with tomato sauce. Check tender wrappers without a raw flour line, drain and spoon on the hot prepared sauce.
Note
Pecorino seasons the filling; add extra salt only after tasting. A tightly sealed crescent is a practical fallback if the wheat-ear braid is difficult.