If you like ravioli, you’re going to fall in love with these Sardinian Culurgiones! Pasta dough rounds get stuffed with a delicious herby potato and cheese mixture and boiled or fried until crispy, served with a simple tomato sauce to make a dish that’s absolutely irresistible.
Love pasta dishes? Don’t forget to try my Spaghetti Vongole e Bottarga recipe too!
Recipe Quick Look
- ⏱ Prep Time: 2 hours.
- 🔥 Cook Time: 5 minutes.
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Red potatoes, flour, fresh mint, cheese.
- 🍪 Servings: 6 servings.
- 🍂 Flavor Profile: Rich and cheesy.
- 👌 Difficulty: Medium.
Culurgiones are originally from Ogliastra, a region in central Sardinia. They are the kind of dish for which each small town – in fact, each family has its own recipe. If you happen to visit Sardinia and would like to learn how to make Culurgiones from scratch, you can join one of the many daily cooking classes.
For example, this cooking class takes place in Sinnai, a small town near Cagliari. It’s a fun activity that lasts up to 5 hours, during which you will learn to make the pasta but you will also eat it, accompanied by lovely Sardinian wine.
My post The Best Cooking Classes In Sardinia will guide you to pick you the best activity for your budget and interests.
What You’ll Love About this Recipe
- It’s a delicious vegetarian dish that’s bound to impress. The stuffing is pretty simple, and yet, it tastes SO yum!
- These little Culurgiones are so pretty, you’ll actually not want to eat them. Yes, they do take a bit of time and effort to make, but it’s simply worth it.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour: To make the dough. I would recommend using semolina or durum wheat flour here for the best texture. You can also use a mix of both.
- Potatoes: Red potatoes are perfect to use here. If you don’t have them, you can use any floury potatoes of your choice.
- Cheese: I used a mix of grated hard and medium Pecorino cheese and some grated sour cheese here to create the perfect balanced flavor. Pecorino cheese is actually a great choice for most Sardinian recipes.
- Mint: For that freshness and flavor.
- Garlic: An absolute must. Fresh garlic lends a beautiful savory depth to the dish.
Check recipe card for quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- For extra flavor, you can use semi-seasoned Pecorino cheese, like I did when I made my Malloreddus Alla Campidanese.
- I used only garlic for the filling, but in some regions, onion is used too. If you want to add it, first sauté it (along with the garlic in a bit of oil) and then add it to the filling.
How to Make Sardinian Culurgiones
To make these Sardinian Culurgiones, start by boiling the potatoes in salted water until they’re fork-tender, and then peeling and mashing them. Then, add the cheese, mint, and garlic and prepare the mixture. Cover this and refrigerate for some time.
Step 1: Prepare a soft dough using the flour and water. Make sure it is lump-free.
Step 2: Roll out the dough into a thin sheet roughly 1 mm in thickness and cut into rounds about 8 cm in diameter. Portion out some of the stuffing in the middle of each round and use the classic spike closure to pinch and shape the Culurgiones.
Step 3: Prepare all the Culurgiones and place them on a floured surface.
Step 4: Cook them in salted water for about 4-5 minutes, or deep fry them in hot sunflower oil until crispy.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use fresh Pecorino cheese. For this recipe, I have used a mix of three kinds of Pecorino. You should be able to get a good Sardinian Pecorino (mild to fresh) at any good Italian grocery store.
- Don’t use feta cheese. Feta is saltier than Pecorino (which is salty enough already), and the texture is different. Just try to get a mild and softer and aged Pecorino for this recipe.
- Skip peeling the potatoes. I know, peeled and chopped potatoes boil much quicker, but they also lose their texture. So, it’s best you don’t.
How to Serve Sardinian Culurgiones
You can boil the Sardinian Culurgiones and toss them in a simple tomato sauce, topped with an extra sprinkle of Pecorino cheese and some fresh mint leaves, or fry them until crispy and enjoy them as-is.
You will find culurgiones served at most restaurants around Sardinia, and definitely in all restaurants in Ogliastra. The best are usually found at very traditional places and agriturismo that make their own. Some restaurants in Cagliari have started serving a revisited version, which is quite yummy but a far cry from the original recipe.
Having said so, here is a selection of restaurants where you can taste them.
- PANI E CASU: One of the best traditional Sardinian food restaurants in Cagliari.
- MEC PUDDU’S: A Sardinian fast food where you can try local dishes at very reasonable prices. There is a restaurant in Santa Maria Navarrese, in Ogliastra.
- RIFUGIO DEL GOLGO: A very traditional restaurant located in the stunning setting of the Golgo Plateau, right above the lovely village of Baunei, that serves the local version of this dish.
- SU CUMBIDU: A located in Cagliari’s La Marina quarter, this is one of the most popular traditional restaurants in town.
- SA DOMU SARDA: Allegedly the best Culurgiones in Cagliari.
- RISTORANTE ADA: A very popular place with locals, it prepares dishes of the Sardinian tradition with the freshest ingredients.
- LE SEGRETE: This lovely restaurant in the heart of Cagliari makes its very own version of the dish: the pasta dough is black, and it is filled with potatoes and shrimps and served with a sauce prepared with fish broth and burrata cheese.
Recipe FAQs
Culurgiones come from the region of Ogliastra (where the Baunei Coast is located). They are traditionally stuffed with boiled, mashed potatoes, mint, a hint of garlic, and pecorino cheese (the kind of cheese varies depending on who makes them).
Cook culurgiones in salted boiling water until they float to the surface ( usually 3-4 minutes). Drain and serve with a tomato sauce made with passata and basil, and grated pecorino cheese.
If you don’t want to use a tomato-based sauce, simply dress the cooked Culurgiones with some grated Pecorino.
Yes, you can! Make sure you freeze them raw and store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To cook them from frozen, simply drop them in salted boiling water and cook for 6-7 minutes or until they float.
Culurgiones are a traditional stuffed pasta of Sardinia. They are filled with mashed potatoes, mint, a hint of garlic, and pecorino.
Culurgiones are a type of Sardinian ravioli-like stuffed pasta.
More Authentic Sardinian Recipes to Try
You can also try the following recipes:
- Fregola Con Arselle
- Burrida Alla Cagliaritana
- Agnello Coi Carciofi
- Spigola Alla Vernaccia
- Sardinian Panada
- Pani Frattau
- Pardule – Sardinian Saffron And Ricotta Tarts
- Seadas – Sardinian Cheese And Honey Pastries
- Su Mazzamurru – Sardinian Bread And Tomato Lasagne
- Su Mustazzeddu
- Zeppole – Sardinian Carnival Sweets
Planning a trip to Sardinia? Pair your foodie adventures with insider travel tips, must-visit restaurants, and Sardinia local secrets that will make your journey unforgettable. Browse our Sardinia guides today, and get in touch with Claudia for more tips.
How To Make Sardinian Culurgiones
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 and 3/4 cups 600 grams of re-milled semolina or durum wheat flour
- 1 and 1/3 cups 300 ml of water at room temperature
- Salt to taste
For the filling
- 3 large red potatoes
- 10 fresh mint leaves finely chopped
- 1 and 1/3 120 grams cups of fresh pecorino cheese
- 1 and 1/3 cups 120 grams of seasoned / hard pecorino cheese
- 1 cup 100 grams of a slightly sour cheese
- 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
Instructions
- Prepare a soft dough using the flour and water. Make sure it is lump-free.
- To make these Sardinian Culurgiones, start by boiling the potatoes in salted water until they’re fork tender, and then peeling and mashing them. Then, add the cheese, mint and garlic and prepare the mixture. Cover this and refrigerate for some time.
- Roll out the dough into a thin sheet roughly 1 mm in thickness and cut into rounds about 8 cm in diameter. Portion out some of the stuffing in the middle of each round and use the classic spike closure to pinch and shape the Culurgiones.
- Prepare all the Culurgiones and place them on a floured surface.
- Cook them in salted water for about 4-5 minutes, or deep fry them in hot sunflower oil until crispy.
Video
Notes
- Don’t add any fat – oil or butter – to the Culurgiones, either in the preparation process or once boiled. They are best enjoyed plain, with grated pecorino cheese.
- Take your time and make sure the Culurgiones are nicely sealed- this will help keep them from falling apart when you boil them.
Nutrition
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I’d say quite!
Beautiful, how difficult for a beginner?