Malloreddus alla Campidanese (Sardinian Sausage and Saffron Ragu)
Malloreddus alla Campidanese is a beautiful traditional dish from Sardinia. It's made with Malloreddus pasta also known as Gnocchetti Sardi served with an incredible Italian sausage ragu with fennel seeds, saffron and Pecorino cheese.
Servings: 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) Malloreddus pasta (Gnocchetti Sardi) see notes
- 1 white onion
- 11.5 oz (325g) Italian sausages with fennel (about 4 medium-sized sausages) (see notes)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small pinch of saffron threads
- 1 lb (450g) tomato passata (tomato puree US)
- 1 small handful fresh basil (about 4-5 leaves)
- 1 cup (80g) Pecorino Sardo or Romano fresh grated
- Olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Add the saffron threads to a small ramekin with 1 tablespoon of hot water and leave to steep.
- Finely chop the onion and sauté it for a few minutes in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil until softened and translucent.
- Remove the sausages from their skins and add them to the onion alongside the bay leaf. Brown the sausage whilst breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon.
- Once browned, add the white wine and saffron and reduce for 1-2 minutes until you can no longer smell the alcohol.
- Add the passata and a pinch of salt and pepper, stir to combine then cover and let it simmer on a medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid from the sauce, add the fresh basil and continue to simmer the sauce for another 5-7 minutes uncovered.
- Add the pasta to the water and cook until al dente.
- Once cooked, transfer the pasta to the sauce and stir until well coated. Add the grated Pecorino cheese and stir in until melted, serve.
Notes
- Fennel sausages - if you can't get Italian fennel sausages you can add 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds to regular Italian sausages.
- What pasta to use - you can make homemade Malloreddus pasta using our tutorial, it's really easy. The next best thing would be a semolina pasta shape such as Orecchiette for the same chewy texture. You can also use regular short pasta or gnocchi.
- High-quality tomatoes - the quality of the tomatoes make a huge difference to the overall flavour of the dish. We love using Mutti tomatoes which are high-quality and usually pretty easy to find. My second favourite brand is Cirio.
- Leftovers and freezing - leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and can be reheated.
- Reserve pasta water - if your sauce has reduced a little too much you can add a splash of pasta water to it, this will also add flavour!
Nutrition
Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 503mg | Potassium: 686mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 3mg
