Culurgiones (Sardinian Pasta Dumplings) + Pala i Fiori Cannonau 2019 #ItalianFWT

 

Jill of L'Occasion is hosting this month's Italian Food Wine Travel group. And our theme: Sardinia! You can read her invitation.

If you are reading this early enough, feel free to join our live Twitter chat on Saturday, September 3rd, at 8am Pacific. Follow the hashtag #ItalianFWT and be sure to add it to anything you tweet so we can see it.

Here's the line-up of articles that the writers have planned...

• Cannonau and the Nuraghe of Sardinia with Surrau by Vino Travels 
• Culurgiones (Sardinian Pasta Dumplings) + Pala i Fiori Cannonau 2019 by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Mamoiada: When a Wine Area Finds A New Fresh Voice by Grapevine Adventures
• Vermentino from Sardinia – Sunlight in a Glass by Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Wine and Cheese Delivery! Quartomoro Orriu Cannonau diSardegna and a Cheese Board from Curdbox by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
• Zuppa Gallurese and a Cannonau di Sardegna by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Learn about the Italian island wine that has been called 'Sardinian Sherry’ in a republication of Rare Wines From Sardinia And Sicily Are Complex And Historic here on L'Occasion.

Sardinia

from expedia.com

If you have been following the #ItalianFWT group for awhile, you'll know that it's not the first time we've ventured to the island. In August 2015's #ItalianFWT event, I shared Grano Saraceno Risotto con Funghi e Miele; in April 2019, we turned our eyes to Italian islands and I shared Slow-Roasted Lamb and Cannonau Di Sardegna. August 2020's #ItalianFWT had me exploring Sardinian Native Grapes with Gamberi all'Aglio.

Located off the western coast of Italy, Sardinia is the largest island in the Mediterranean behind Sicily. It is said that Phoenicians were the first to bring wine to the island. The most well-known grapes on Sardinia are Cannonau, Vermentino, and Carignano. Though there are several indigenous varieties that I am on the hunt for, including  Bovale, Torbato, Semidano, Monica, Malvasia Bianca, Moscato, Nasco, and Nuragus. Of international varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon is also grown on the island.

Pala i Fiori Cannonau 2019

Further reading told me that Cannonau is just another name for Grenache. Ehhh...and here I was excited that I was trying some new-to-me, godforsaken grape. Oh, well. This was still delicious!

The winemaking adventure of the Pala family began in the middle of the 20th century in Serdiana, a village in the southern Sardinia. The estate spans nearly 70 hectares and is cultivated organically without the use of any chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

This wine pours an intense, inky garnet color. The aromas are subtle and layered; the first aroma I noted is one of my favorites - garrigue - it's the herbaceous and peppery, notes of the ubiquitious low-lying vegetation that grows wild all over the island. But there is also aromas of ripe red fruits and more spice. Medium-bodied, this wine has a solid structure with a delicate floral undertone and a bright acidity. This was a delightful pour.

Culurgiones

Sardinian Pasta Dumplings

I have made a lot of different Sardinian dishes, but I wanted to make something new to us. I eagerly embarked on a culugiones adventure. Culurgiones are Sardinian pasta dumplings filled with potatoes. Yeah, my family is always in the mood for double-carbohydrates. Ha! 

This is probably not a traditional recipe as I used my regular homemade pasta dough and muddled through a filling that included leftover mashed potatoes; but it was a tasty interpretation regardless. Enjoy!

Though homemade pasta takes a little bit of technique, it requires very few ingredients.

Ingredients makes 4 to 6 servings

Dough

• 2 cups pasta flour plus more for dusting
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Also needed: plastic wrap, rolling pin, gnocchi board and dowel, baking sheet

Filling

• 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
• 10 to 12 organic mint leaves
• 1-1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
• 1 cup ricotta
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and press
• salt and pepper to taste

Assembly and Serving

• semolina flour 
• tomato sauce
• crumbled ricotta salata
• mint leaves for garnish
• Also needed: #40 scoop, optional

Procedure

Dough

Place flour in a heap on a clean workspace. Use a measuring cup or just create a hollow in the flour.

Break eggs into the hollow. Sprinkle in the salt. Use a fork to incorporate the eggs into the flour. Add in the olive oil. Knead into a smooth dough, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. While the dough rests, make the filling.

Filling

Blend all of the filling ingredients together until the filling is well-combined and smooth.

Assembly

After the dough has rested, cut the disc into quarters. 

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough as thin as you can by hand, approximately 1/16".

Slice the dough into 3-inch diameter circles. Using a scoop or a spoon, place a portion - approximately the size of a walnut - of the filling in the middle of the dough circles.

Pinch the culurgiones closed and place them on a floured platter. Repeat until you run out of dough and filling.

To cook bring a pot of salted water to a boil. In batches, drop in your culurgiones. Once they float, boil them for another 2 to 3 minutes. Lift them from the water with a slotted spoon or skimmer.

To serve spoon the culurgiones on top of a fresh tomato sauce. Sprinkle them with grated ricotta salata and fresh mint leaves.

That's a wrap on my September #ItalianFWT event for Sardinia. The group will be back in October with our eyes on Valpolicella with Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm at the lead. Stay tuned.