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.