Lorighittas di Morgongiori
Lorighittas di Morgongiori are intricate, hand-braided double rings of semolina pasta from the Oristano village of Morgongiori, coated in a slow-simmered rustic chicken sauce.
- Prep
- 90 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 150 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 560 kcal
Equipment
- •Wooden pasta board
- •Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •Large pasta pot
- •Slotted spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- fat
- 14 g
- carbs
- 74 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 32 g
- calories
- 560 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Mix semola rimacinata and salt on a wooden board, gradually pouring in the warm water.
- 2
Knead vigorously for ten minutes until the dough becomes very smooth, firm, and elastic.
- 3
Wrap the dough tightly in a damp tea towel and rest for thirty minutes.
- 4
Heat olive oil in a saucepan and brown the chicken pieces over medium-high heat until golden.
- 5
Stir in the onion, garlic, rosemary, and bay leaf, cooking until the onion softens and turns sweet.
- 6
Pour in the white wine and scrape the pan base until the alcohol cooks off completely.
- 7
Add the crushed tomatoes, cover, and simmer gently for forty-five minutes until the chicken is tender.
- 8
Roll walnut-sized pieces of dough into very thin spaghetti-like strands between your palms and the board.
- 9
Wind a strand twice around your index and middle fingers, pinch the end, then roll the loop between thumb and finger to twist it.
- 10
Slide the twisted double ring off your fingers and arrange on a clean cloth to dry slightly.
- 11
Boil the lorighittas in well-salted water for six to eight minutes until tender but firm to the bite.
- 12
Drain the pasta with a slotted spoon, toss directly into the hot chicken sauce, and serve with grated Pecorino Sardo.
Chef's tips
Keep the unshaped dough covered with a damp cloth at all times so it remains supple. Twist the loops firmly between your thumb and forefinger so the braids stay intact when boiled.
Ingredient substitutions
- Pecorino Sardo → Fiore Sardo or aged Pecorino Romano, though Romano is noticeably saltier
- free-range chicken thigh meat → cockerel or stewing hen for deeper, historic village flavour
Storage
Store leftover dressed pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a frying pan over low heat with two tablespoons of water until hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rolling the dough strands too thickly, resulting in dense, chewy centres after cooking.
- •Twisting the double loop too loosely, which causes the rings to unravel in boiling water.
- •Over-reducing the chicken sauce so the pasta has no liquid to coat its crevices.
Serving suggestions
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