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Homemade Sardinian Gnocchi (malloreddus) in Lamb Broth.
5 from 90 votes

Homemade Sardinian Gnocchi (malloreddus) in Lamb Broth.

Homemade Sardinian gnocchi, known as malloreddus, are made from semolina flour and served in a savory lamb broth enriched with vegetables, herbs, and Pecorino Sardo cheese. The gnocchi dough is kneaded to a firm texture and shaped into small ridged pieces, typical of Sardinian cuisine. The lamb broth is simmered with neck bones or other cuts and infused with carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs for a rich, hearty flavor. This dish combines tender pasta with a flavorful broth that reflects traditional Sardinian cooking.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 476 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian

Ingredients

For the Sardinian gnocchi
  • 250 g semolina flour 9oz
  • 100 ml water warm, 3.3oz
  • 2 g salt 0.5 tsp
For the lamb broth
  • 1 kg lamb neck bones or leg or shoulder joints or boneless shoulder/leg meat or shanks. Or leftover lamb from Easter or Sunday lunch, meaty, 2.2 lbs
  • 2 carrot washed and cut into pieces
  • 2 celery washed and sliced, stalks
  • 1 onion peeled and sliced
  • 4 potato peeled and halved ( I used unpeeled new potatoes
  • 1 handful parsley washed and chopped, fresh
  • 1 prig rosemary washed and chopped or thyme or basil, fresh
  • 2-3 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
  • salt to taste
  • 60 g Pecorino Sardo cheese freshly grated, or Pecorino Romano, 2oz

Instructions

Start the lamb broth
    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut the meat into chunks if needed. Peel and slice the onion, wash and chop the carrots and celery, peel the potatoes and put them in a bowl of water until ready to use them. Wash the herbs. Cut the drained sun-dried tomatoes in half.
  2. Put the lamb, herbs and veggies (not the potatoes) into a deep pot and add enough cold water to just cover everything. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 1-1.5 hours. Check occasionally if you need to skim any fat from the top.
Make the Sardinian gnocchi (malloreddus)
  1. Sift the flour into a mound on a pastry board and form a well in the middle. Dissolve the salt in the warm water and then add the water a little at a time to the centre of the well. Using a fork or scraper, slowly start to incorporate the water into the flour to form a rough dough. Add a little more water if the dough is too dry or a dusting of flour if it is too wet. (You can do this first part in a bowl)
  2. Knead the dough until it springs back when you press a finger into it, about 10 minutes. It should be quite smooth and pliable and not tacky. Roll the dough into a ball, wrapi it in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30-60 minutes.
  3. Cut off a piece of the dough and roll it into a 1-2cm-thick snake (.4-.7 of an inch). Cut the snake into 1-2cm pieces. Press one piece of dough at a time firmly with your thumb against a gnocchi board or the back tines of a fork and roll the dough down the board to create a shell shape with ridges. Continue with the remaining dough, dusting the pasta and board with semolina flour as needed to prevent sticking.
  4. Place your ready Sardinian gnocchi on a floured tray or tea towel until you are ready to use them.
Finish the broth and cook the pasta.
  1. Add the potatoes and some salt to the broth and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes until the meat falls off the bone and the potatoes are cooked. If the meat isn’t soft enough, remove the potatoes and continue cooking a bit longer.
  2. Once the meat is ready, remove it and the potatoes from the broth. If necessary, remove the meat from the bones and shred it. Bring the broth to a boil again and add your malloreddus. Fresh pasta doesn’t take so long to cook (5-10 minutes) but it depends on how thick/big it is. Test taste before turning off the heat.
  3. Put some of the shredded lamb meat into individual bowls and add some pasta, veggies and broth. Top with a generous sprinkling of grated pecorino and serve immediately.
  4. Serve the rest of the meat and potatoes as a main course or a separate meal the following day.

Notes

  • You can opt to use dried malloreddus or other similar small pasta if making the dough is not preferred.
  • Fregola, another Sardinian pasta, can be used as an alternative in this recipe.
  • Nutrition and calories estimates are based on dividing the recipe into two dishes per person.

Nutrition Information

Calories 476kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 92g (31%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g (3%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 16mg (5%) Sodium 413mg (17%) Potassium 1160mg (25%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 5265IU (105%) Vitamin C 48mg (53%) Calcium 214mg (21%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 476

% Daily Value*

Calories 476kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 92g 31%
Protein 16g 32%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 16mg 5%
Sodium 413mg 17%
Potassium 1160mg 25%
Fiber 8g 32%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 5265IU 105%
Vitamin C 48mg 53%
Calcium 214mg 21%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.