Culurgiones
Sardinian potato, pecorino and mint pasta
Plump pasta parcels enclose potato, pecorino and mint, with a pinched wheat-ear seam and a simple tomato sauce.
Potato-filled parcels with a wheat-ear seamPotatoes and mint,
folded like an ear of wheat.
Culurgiones are filled pasta closely associated with Ogliastra in eastern Sardinia. The potato, sheep’s-cheese and mint version has a soft, fragrant center inside thin dough. Its pinched seam resembles an ear of wheat and makes the parcels easy to recognize.
Fillings and names change around the island; not every Sardinian filled pasta uses this mixture. Some kitchens serve culurgiones with tomato, others more simply. This home recipe pairs the potato-and-mint filling with a light tomato sauce, keeping the shaped seam visible above it.
Explore by food: Pasta · Vegetables & cheese
Let’s make culurgiones.
Four generous first courses, about 28–32 parcels. Make the dough, chilled potato filling and tomato sauce from scratch.
About 28–32 culurgiones, 7–8 per serving.
About 10 minutes of dough kneading and 30 minutes of sauce cooking take place during the filling’s 45-minute cooling period. The dough’s 30-minute rest also fits within that cooling period.
What you’ll need
Filling
- 600 gfloury potatoes, whole and unpeeled
- 30 mlolive oil
- 1garlic clove, lightly crushed
- 100 gPecorino Sardo, finely grated
- 10mint leaves, finely chopped
- to tastesalt and black pepper
Dough
- 150 gplain flour, plus 25 g for rolling
- 100 gfine re-milled durum wheat semolina
- 145 mllukewarm water
- 1 tbspolive oil
- ¼ tspfine salt
Sauce and cooking
- 350 gtomato passata
- 60 mlwater for the sauce
- as neededwater for boiling potatoes and pasta
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1garlic clove, lightly crushed
- 6basil leaves, torn
- to tastesalt, including for the pasta water
The 45-minute rest allowance covers filling cooling and dough relaxation together. Shaping speed and pasta thickness can extend the schedule. Plain sealed half-moons are a practical beginner alternative to the wheat-ear braid.
How to make it
- 01
Cook and mash the potatoes
Cover the potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 35–40 minutes until a knife passes easily through. Drain, peel while warm and mash smoothly. Warm the filling oil with its garlic for 2 minutes without browning, then discard the garlic.
- 02
Mix and cool the filling
Stir the garlic oil, pecorino and mint into the warm potato. Season to taste. Spread in a shallow dish, let strong steam subside briefly, then refrigerate for about 45 minutes until cool and firm enough to portion.
- 03
Knead and rest the dough
During the filling’s cooling time, mix the flour, semolina and ¼ tsp salt with the 145 ml water and 1 tbsp oil. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest for 30 minutes; the filling can continue chilling alongside it.
- 04
Simmer the sauce
Also during cooling, warm the sauce oil with its garlic for 1 minute. Add passata, 60 ml water and a little salt. Simmer gently for about 25–30 minutes, stirring, then remove the garlic. Keep warm.
- 05
Fill the rounds
Roll a portion of dough to 1–1.5 mm, keeping the rest covered. Cut 8 cm circles. Divide the filling into about 28–32 portions, roughly 20–25 g each. Place a portion in each circle, enough to make a plump parcel without stretching the dough. Gather and reroll scraps once, resting them briefly if resistant.
- 06
Pinch the seam
Cup a circle in one hand and pinch the bottom edges together. Fold a small piece from the left edge toward the center, then one from the right, alternating upward into a braided seam while pressing out air. Pinch the tip closed. If the braid is difficult, seal a plain half-moon firmly. Set on a lightly floured tray.
- 07
Boil and serve
Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook in two batches for about 4–6 minutes each, until the dough and seam are tender; taste a test parcel. Lift with a slotted spoon. Divide the warm sauce between plates, add the parcels and finish with the torn basil.
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