Gnocchetti sardi or malloreddus is a typical pasta from Sardinia. The origin of the name ’gnocchetti’ is quite simple as the shape really looks like tiny potato gnocchi (but, in fact, is made of durum semolina flour, water and salt), but malloreddus is more difficult: it may mean morsel or little bull (calf). To get the characteristic shape, Sardinians traditionally hand-rolled the pieces of dough on a round reed basket. Nowadays, most people use a small wooden board that looks like a gnocchi board. Sardinian gnocchi have always been the most prepared traditional dish in Sardinia for special occasions, such as holidays, village festivals and weddings. Gnocchetti sardi pasta is served with a variety of sauces, the most well-known is ‘malloreddus alla campidanese’, a delicious fennel sausage, saffron and tomato sauce, but it is also paired with bottarga and clams, with seafood such as salmon or shrimp or simply with pecorino and saffron in a dish called malloreddus ‘a casu furriau’.
The selected semolina wheat used in this pasta is strictly of Italian origin and of the best quality, including the Senatore Cappelli variety which is renowned for cooking to al-dente. It also gives the pasta a golden color. Bronze cut pasta molds create a rough and porous texture much like homemade pasta. The low temperature drying method known as cirillo preserves the distinct texture and aroma.
