Simplywanderfull
My girlfriends and I spent 10 amazing days on a journey throughout Sardinia. Sardinia, an Italian island just off the coast of Italy and in my opinion it’s a piece of heaven on earth. Rugged coastlines, gorgeous beaches with crystal clear waters, beautiful people and the best part is their careful consideration for eating healthy and living long lives. Sardinia and in particular the Nuoro valley is considered one of the world’s Blue Zones.
What is a Blue Zone you may ask? A Blue Zone is a geographical region where people live significantly longer and healthier lives, often reaching the age of 100 at higher rates than elsewhere. Sardinia is famous for this—it’s a spot where people enjoy fresh food, stay active, and make meaningful connections that help them thrive well into old age.
We began our trip in Cagliari and then travelled north to Olbia with many stops along the way including the gorgeous Santa Maria Navaresse area. If you are looking for a wonderful itinerary to Sardinia, our Wellness Travels brand focuses on creating itineraries that include: luxury hotels, daily outdoor activities, nice restaurant recommendations with an emphasis on your mindful well being. We also offer a beautiful printable vacation brochures that includes all your trip details and fits so nicely in your purse or pocket. Great for reference!
I would also love to mention that if you are looking for a great resource for your planning I highly recommend listening to a podcast called Strictly Sardinia Podcast. Claudia Tavani, is Sardinian born and passionately proud of her country. She has great recommendations for planning your trip to Sardinia. We used her recommendation for our beautiful stay in Cagliari called Villa Fanny! We also used her advice for mapping out our journey.
You can also listen to her wonderful Spotify Playlist here: Strictly Sardinia Podcast.
Our cooking class took place at Eco Cascioni Resort, surrounded by breathtaking views in a peaceful setting. We ventured out of the main building to the cooking class which was set in a beautiful white elongated windowed greenhouse style building offering a warm and inviting environment. A perfectly quiet setting for learning a life long skill of making pasta!
I will forever remember our teacher Chef Elly, from La Colti Agriturismo, bursting with joy and pride when she spoke about her beloved island and how exciting it is that there are so many centurions (people living over 100) living there. She would explain that Sardinian food choices and preparation has an important role in longevity. I will always remember how happy she seemed and so content to be right where she was in the moment and in this inviting space. Elly’s singing in between cleaning dishes and moving to the next part of the class sang to my heart. What a truly magical day that captured the heart and essence of Sardinia and the beautiful people within it. I am forever grateful.
So what was on the menu you might ask? Well, we made the traditional Sardinian pasta called Mallorredus and then we made homemade ravioli stuffed with ricotta, and finished up with a delicious dessert called Seadas.
Yes, that is right 3 different dishes using basically one traditional dough recipe. Our incredible and skilled Chef Elly was so excited to teach us that you can create all 3 of these traditional Sardinian dishes using just 6 spoonfuls of semolina and 6 generous spoonfuls of water! We were amazed to see how all three dishes came together using such a small amount of ingredients.
Sardinian Home Cooks use Semolina Flour
Sardinian home cooks are renowned for their skillful use of semolina flour when making traditional pastas like malloreddus and culurgiones. Unlike standard wheat flour, semolina is ground from hard durum wheat and has a coarser texture and pale yellow hue. Locals prefer semolina because it yields dough with a firmer bite, a satisfyingly chewy texture, and results in pasta that holds its shape beautifully during cooking—a hallmark of Sardinian specialties.
Semolina’s natural gluten strength helps create the distinctive ridges and forms, while its nutty flavour pairs perfectly with the robust sauces and savoury ingredients common in Sardinian cuisine. This simple ingredient, combined with water and sometimes saffron, captures the rustic heart of Sardinian pasta making and preserves a tradition passed down through generations.
What are Mallorredus or chiusoni or Sardinian Gnocchi?
Malloreddus, also known as chiusoni or gnocchetti sardi or “little Sardinian gnocchi,” are a traditional pasta shape from Sardinia. They are small, ridged pasta shells, typically about 2 centimeters long, made from durum wheat semolina and water—sometimes with saffron added for flavor and colour.
How To Make Mallorredus
Before you begin making the Mallorredus I would recommend setting up your work station with some essential tools. Chef Elly said that you will need a gnocchi wooden board, or even better the back of a fine cheese grater to create the beautiful shape and pattern on the Mallorredus.
The Process:
If you plan to make 4 servings of pasta you will need 16 spoonfuls of Semolina and 16 spoonfuls of warm/hot water to begin.
*A standard US cup contains 16 tablespoons. Therefore, 16 heaping spoonfuls, if we assume each heaping spoonful is equivalent to a tablespoon, would be roughly equal to 1 cup.
How To Make The Dough For Malloredus & Ravioli:
- To a bowl, add the semolina and warm water and a 1/2 tsp. salt. Work until the dough is smooth. This will take 8-10 minutes of kneading. Some suggest allowing your dough to rest covered with a damp cloth in a bowl for 30 minutes. We did not let it rest in our cooking class. We continued immediately to the next step.
- The next step is to divide your dough into 6 equal smaller pieces. Now you will shape your dough into a long cylinder (rope looking) approximately a 1/2 inch thickness. I like to use my fingers and stretch my hand out wide while rolling the dough. This helps to expand the dough into a thinner cylinder shape.
- Now using a butter knife, cut the cylinder into smaller pieces, approximately 1/2 inch each will be fine. It is important to dust the shaped mallorredus lightly with semolina to prevent sticking, and place them on a tray. If you plan on freezing the pasta place the mallorredus on a baking tray and make sure they are not sticking together. Freeze on a tray first, then transfer to a a freezer bag for future use.
- Now for the fun part take a fine cheese grater and, holding the dough pieces with your fingers, roll each piece gently over the grater’s back smooth side, pressing lightly while dragging to create the traditional rough ridged texture and curved shape. This process helps the pasta hold sauces better.
- Make sure that your Mallorredus are dusted nicely with semolina. At this point you can cook them up or you can freeze them for future use. When you make them, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the Mallorredus and boil for at least 4 minutes and up to 7. You can tell when they are ready when they float and cooked al-dente.
The chef at the Eco Cascione Resort cooked up a simple homemade tomato sauce for our freshly made mallorredus pasta that we just hand crafted. The result was absolutely delicious. You can find my version of the homemade tomato sauce recipe that is very similar to the one that the chef made is listed below. It’s easy and so delicious!
Let's Make It Together!
After we enjoyed rolling our Malloredus, we got back to work carefully making a homemade ravioli stuffed with ricotta and lemon zest and then we finished up with a traditional Sardinian dessert called a Seadas- a cheese filled fried pastry that is then drizzled with honey. Wow, to learn 3 traditional Sardinian dishes with basically one dough recipe and all tasted spectacular! Grazie Mille Chef Elly and Eco Cascione for the perfect setting!
Enjoying the fruits of our labour
As the whole cooking class sat down to enjoy the delicious foods of our labour, I had a feeling of such gratitude and I am always amazed at how cooking can bring people together in such a nuturing way. We had people from all around the world in our cooking class and I just loved sharing stories about food and dishes from their countries. Cooking and food brings memories, emotions and feelings to all of us instantly and in different ways. A memory of a grandma making a similar dish, and funny quirky ways of preparing a dish sparks feelings. Cooking brings people together in such a beautiful way. In my opinion, a cooking class or cooking project with others is wonderful for your well-being and for your soul! I couldn’t imagine spending a better day than taking a cooking class while on vacation!
Our meal was incredible! Vermentino white wine flowed, the pane carasau and fresh breads placed before us accomopanied by Eco Cascione own olive oil. Then the “Spuntino” arrived consisting of various cheese’s including pecorino, and homemade salami meats. We are in heaven and the meal hasn’t even started!
Our plates arrived with our skillfully crafted pastas and then our delicious homemade Seadas dessert drizzled with honey. The Malloredus, finished in a homemade tomato sauce with a sprinkle of fresh pecorino cheese. The Ravioli was stuffed with ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and a dash of sugar filling and then finished in a simple butter sage sauce. Our dessert was delivered and was prepared by deep frying the Seadas, and then the chef drizzled honey which came from the bees at Eco Cascione resort. All I can say is that the whole meal was: heavenly!
Forever grateful. Grazie Mille Chef Elly and the staff at Eco Cascione Resort!
Homemade Mallorredus: A Traditional Sardnian Pasta
Ingredients
Method
- To a bowl, add the semolina and warm water and a 1/2 tsp. salt. Work until the dough is smooth. This will take 8-10 minutes of kneading. Some suggest allowing your dough to rest in a covered with a damp cloth in a bowl for 30 minutes. We did not let it rest in our cooking class. We continued immediately to the next step.
- The next step is to divide your dough into 6 equal smaller pieces. Now you will shape your dough into a long cylinder (rope looking) approximately a 1/2 inch thickness. I like to use my fingers and stretch my hand out wide while rolling the dough. This helps to expand the dough into a thinner cylinder shape.
- Now using a butter knife, cut the cylinder into smaller pieces approximately 1/2 inch pieces will be fine. It is important to dust the shaped chiusoni lightly with semolina to prevent sticking, and place them on a tray.
- Now for the fun part take a fine cheese grater and, holding the dough pieces with your fingers, roll each piece gently over the grater’s back (the coarse side), pressing lightly while dragging to create the traditional rough ridged texture. This process helps the pasta hold sauces better.
- Make sure that your Mallorredus are dusted nicely with semolina. At this point you can cook them up or you can freeze them for future use. When you make them, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the Mallorredus and boil for at least 4 minutes and up to 7. You can tell when they are ready when they float and cooked al-dente.
Homemade Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Using a small food processor, mince the vegetables.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté gently, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant—about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, avoiding browning to keep the sauce sweet.
- Add in the wine and gently deglaze the pan allowing the wine to evaporate a bit.
- Pour in the tomatoes and stir well. Season with salt and add basil leaves.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook slowly for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Using a handheld blending stick, blend the sauce into a smooth texture. Alternatively you can pour the sauce into a blender and blend the sauce that way.
- When serving, cook the pasta with the sauce until it is evenly coated. Sprinkle the pasta with pecorino cheese and pepper. Enjoy!
Let us Help Plan Your Next Adventure!
If you enjoyed this article check out more here:
Boat, Beach & Drinks: Fort Myers Best Waterfront Happy Hours
The Kook Dutch Oven: A One-Pot Wonder Making Sourdough Bread
Asheville – A Perfect Stopover for Snowbirds
Healthy & Hearty Sardinian Minestrone Soup
Sardinian Jam Tart Recipe: Easy & Elegant
Spectacular Sardinia: A 10-Day Itinerary Of Luxury & Adventure
Learning to Make Malloreddus: My Sardinian Cooking Class Experience
New York: 30K Steps In A Day And A Whole Lot Of Fun
