Maccarrones de Punzu

Name: Maccarrones de Punzu
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sarda
Ingredients: 400 g semola rimacinata di grano duro; 200 ml warm water; 5 g Fine sea salt; 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 100 g Onion; 300 g fresh pork sausage with fennel; 500 g tomato passata; 1 piece Bay leaf; 60 g pecorino sardo dop

Traditional Sardinian thumb-pressed semolina pasta from Logudoro, shaped by pressing each piece with the thumb and served with a rich pork sausage ragù.

🇮🇹Italy· Sardinia

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 80 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 590 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

400 g semola rimacinata di grano duro — fine durum wheat semolina
200 ml warm water — around 40 degrees C
5 g Fine sea salt — plus extra for pasta water
30 ml Extra virgin olive oil — fruity Sardinian oil preferred
100 g Onion — finely chopped
300 g fresh pork sausage with fennel — casings removed and meat crumbled
500 g tomato passata — smooth sieved tomatoes
1 piece Bay leaf — dried
60 g pecorino sardo dop — mature, finely grated

Equipment

•Wooden pasta board
•Large pot
•Sauté pan
•Chef's knife
•Slotted spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 590 kcal
fat: 20 g
carbs: 76 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 24 g
calories: 590 kcal

Instructions

1
Tip the semolina onto a wooden board and create a wide well in the centre.
2
Pour the warm water and salt into the well, drawing flour in gradually with your fingers.
3
Knead firmly for ten minutes until the dough feels smooth, dense, and elastic.
4
Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for thirty minutes.
5
Roll small portions of dough into long ropes roughly one centimetre thick.
6
Cut the ropes into one-centimetre pieces using a sharp knife.
7
Press your thumb firmly into each piece, dragging slightly to form a hollowed cup.
8
Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the chopped onion until soft and sweet.
9
Add the crumbled sausage and fry over medium heat until browned and the fat renders.
10
Pour in the tomato passata and bay leaf, then simmer gently for twenty-five minutes until rich and thick.
11
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for five to six minutes until tender with a firm bite.
12
Drain the pasta, toss directly into the warm sauce, and scatter generously with grated Pecorino Sardo.

Chef's tips

Keep the pasta dough firm so the hollowed shapes do not collapse during boiling. Do not use a grooved board; a single firm thumb press against a smooth wooden surface gives the authentic shape. If the dough feels sticky, dust your hands lightly with semolina rather than overloading the board.

Ingredient substitutions

Pecorino Sardo DOP → Fiore Sardo DOP or mature Pecorino Romano, though the latter is sharper and saltier
fresh pork sausage with fennel → coarse minced pork shoulder seasoned with a pinch of crushed fennel seeds and black pepper

Storage

Store leftover cooked pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a wide pan over medium-low heat with two tablespoons of water until piping hot.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding too much water to the dough, which makes the pasta soft and causes it to lose its pressed cavity.
•Boiling the pasta too vigorously, which can break the delicate edges of each piece.
•Leaving the ragù too watery, preventing it from clinging inside the hollowed pasta.

Serving suggestions

Serve piping hot in wide earthenware bowls with extra grated Pecorino Sardo at the table.Pair with crisp pane carasau flatbread and a glass of Cannonau di Sardegna red wine.