Culurgiones d'Ogliastra

Name: Culurgiones d'Ogliastra
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sarda
Ingredients: 300 g fine durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata); 150 ml warm water; 25 g lard or extra virgin olive oil; 600 g floury potatoes; 15 g Fresh mint leaves; 1 clove Garlic; 120 g fresh pecorino sardo or mature pecorino; 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 5 g Fine sea salt

Culurgiones d'Ogliastra, also known simply as culurgiones, are Sardinian pasta parcels filled with potato, pecorino and fresh mint, sealed with a distinctive wheat-ear pleat.

🇮🇹Italy· Sardinia

Prep: 60 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 75 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Hard
Calories: 485 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

300 g fine durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata) — plus extra for dusting
150 ml warm water — lukewarm
25 g lard or extra virgin olive oil — traditional pork strutto or rich olive oil
600 g floury potatoes — boiled in skins, such as Maris Piper or Russet
15 g Fresh mint leaves — very finely chopped
1 clove Garlic — crushed into oil and infused or very finely grated
120 g fresh pecorino sardo or mature pecorino — finely grated, ideally a mix of fresh and aged
30 ml Extra virgin olive oil — for dressing and filling
5 g Fine sea salt — for seasoning and pasta water

Equipment

•Potato ricer
•Rolling pin or pasta machine
•8 cm round pastry cutter
•Large mixing bowl
•Wide pasta pot
•Slotted spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 485 kcal
fat: 17 g
carbs: 68 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 16 g
calories: 485 kcal

Instructions

1
Knead semolina, warm water, salt and 25g lard into a smooth, pliable dough for ten minutes.
2
Wrap dough tightly in cling film and rest at room temperature for thirty minutes.
3
Peel hot boiled potatoes and press through a potato ricer into a large bowl.
4
Mix warm potatoes with olive oil, crushed garlic, chopped mint, grated pecorino and salt until smooth.
5
Roll rested dough out into sheets two millimetres thick on a lightly dusted surface.
6
Cut rounds from the dough using an eight-centimetre round cutter.
7
Place a rounded walnut-sized mound of potato filling in the centre of each disc.
8
Hold disc in palm, pinch base, and alternate left-right thumb folds to form a raised wheat-ear pleat.
9
Tuck and pinch the top tip securely shut to seal the parcel completely.
10
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle rolling boil.
11
Cook culurgiones in batches for four to five minutes until the pasta floats and tenderises.
12
Lift out gently with a slotted spoon and dress immediately with olive oil and extra pecorino.

Chef's tips

Mash the potatoes whilst still warm so they absorb the pecorino and mint oils properly. Keep cut dough rounds covered with a damp tea towel to prevent drying out before pleating. Ensure your folds overlap tightly during pleating so the filling does not escape in boiling water.

Ingredient substitutions

Pecorino Sardo → Pecorino Romano mixed with a little fresh mild sheep's curd
lard → extra-virgin olive oil in equal weight

Storage

Store uncooked culurgiones arranged in a single layer in the freezer on a tray, then transfer to a sealed bag for up to one month.

Reheating

Cook directly from frozen in gently boiling salted water, adding two extra minutes to the cooking time.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using waxy potatoes which make the filling sticky and dense rather than light and fluffy.
•Rolling the pasta dough too thick, making the wheat-ear braid chewy and undercooked.
•Boiling the parcels too vigorously, which can tear the delicate hand-pleated seams.

Serving suggestions

Serve simply in bianco with extra-virgin olive oil and grated Pecorino Sardo.Toss gently with a light, fresh summer tomato and basil sauce.Serve hot alongside pane carasau and a glass of Cannonau di Sardegna.