Sardinian Potato Dumplings (Culurgiones)
Culurgiones Say it: koo-loor-JOH-nehs
Culurgiones are Sardinian stuffed pasta from Ogliastra, shaped like small crescents with a hand-pleated wheat-ear seam. The filling is soft potato, sharp Pecorino Sardo and fresh mint, wrapped in a firm durum-wheat dough. They are traditionally made in large batches for family gatherings and holidays, then boiled and dressed with tomato sauce or butter and cheese. The contrast of tender pasta, creamy minted potato and salty cheese makes them a beloved symbol of Sardinian home cooking.
Sardinian Potato Dumplings (Culurgiones)
Culurgiones
Pronounced koo-loor-JOH-nehs
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the dough
For the filling
For serving
Method
For the dough, whisk the semolina and salt in a bowl. Pour in the warm water gradually, mixing with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly semolina-dusted surface and knead for 8–10 minutes, until smooth, firm and only slightly tacky.
Boil the potatoes in plenty of salted water for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides in without resistance. Drain well, mash until smooth, and spread on a plate to cool for 10 minutes.
Mix the cooled potato with the Pecorino, mint, olive oil, salt and pepper until evenly combined. Taste; the filling should be savoury and minty, not dry.
Divide the rested dough into 4 pieces and keep covered. Roll one piece at a time on a semolina-dusted surface to about 1/16 inch (2 mm) thick. Cut out 3-inch (7.5 cm) rounds and cover them with a cloth.
Place a scant teaspoon of filling in the center of a round. Fold the dough over to make a half-moon, press the curved edge to seal, then work along that edge from one end to the other, folding tiny pleats toward the filling to create a wheat-ear braid. Pinch the ends firmly so no filling escapes.
Set the finished culurgiones on a semolina-dusted tray without touching and cover with a cloth. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling; you should have about 30 dumplings.
For the sauce, warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the passata and salt and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until slightly thickened and glossy.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the culurgiones in batches for 3–4 minutes, until they float and the dough is tender at the seam. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly.
Spoon the sauce into warm bowls, add the culurgiones, and finish with the remaining Pecorino and torn mint. Serve immediately.
Regional variants
Some cooks add a little egg to the dough for a softer bite, and outside Ogliastra a cheese-only filling or a tomato-and-basil dressing is common.
Cook's notes
- Keep the dough covered as you work; it dries quickly and becomes hard to pleat.
- Do not overfill the rounds, or the seam may split during boiling.
- Freeze uncooked culurgiones on a semolina-dusted tray, then bag them; cook from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.
Serve with
A simple tomato sauce, extra Pecorino Sardo and a glass of Sardinian red wine.
Make ahead and storage
Uncooked culurgiones freeze well for up to 1 month; cook from frozen. Cooked leftovers keep refrigerated for 2 days and reheat gently with sauce.
