Vegan Sardinian Culurgiones - Italian Potato Dumplings

These vegan Sardinian culurgiones are one of my favourite dishes from Sardinia. They're handmade pasta dumplings filled with creamy potato, vegan pecorino and fresh mint, then served over a simple garlicky tomato sauce. They take a little patience to shape, but the ingredients are simple and the result is absolutely worth it.

Culurgiones are a traditional Sardinian stuffed pasta, particularly associated with the Ogliastra reason. Their distinctive braided closure is one of the things that makes them so special. Traditionally, the filling combines potatoes, cheese and mint, but this version keeps all those characteristic flavours while using vegan pecorino and nutritional yeast.

If you love making traditional Italian dishes from scratch, try my mandilli de sea next.

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• Ingredients
• Instructions
• How to Shape Culurgiones
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tip
• FAQ
• Related
• Vegan Sardinian Culurgiones - Italian Potato Dumplings

Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to make culurgiones from scratch. Semolina and plain flour create a firm but workable pasta dough, while potatoes make up the creamy filling. Fresh mint is especially important here: it gives the filling its characteristic fresh flavour and works beautifully with the vegan pecorino.

For the pasta dough

• Durum wheat semolina
• Plain flour
• Water
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

For the filling

• Potatoes
• Vegan pecorino cheese or nutritional yeast
• Fresh mint
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

For the tomato sauce

• Canned chopped tomatoes
• Garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh basil
• Salt
• Black pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Make the pasta dough

Place the semolina and plain flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Add a pinch of salt.

Gradually pour a few tablespoon of water at a time into the well along with ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Using your fingers or a fork, mix in a circular motion, slowly incorporating flour from the edges and add water if necessary.

Once the dough is coming together start kneading. The dough may initially look too dry to come together, but be patient. The flour will slowly absorb the water. Only add extra water a few drops at a time if absolutely necessary.

Knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a firm dough.

2. Rest the dough

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave it to rest for 20-30 minutes.

This gives the gluten time to relax, making the dough much easier to roll and shape. Don't worry if your dough isn't perfectly smooth before resting; it should become smoother and more elastic afterwards.

3. Make the tomato sauce

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over low-medium heat.

Add the chopped or crushed garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, until just golden.

Add the canned chopped tomatoes and break them down slightly with a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the culurgiones.

Blend the sauce until smooth before serving.

4. Cook the potatoes

Meanwhile, place the chopped potatoes in a pot of salted water and boil until tender, about 10 minutes.

Drain well and allow them to cool slightly.

5. Make the potato filling

Mash the potatoes using a fork or potato masher.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, vegan pecorino or nutritional yeast, and finely chopped mint. Season with salt and black pepper.

Mix everything together until you have a smooth, creamy filling.

6. Roll and cut the pasta

Roll the rested dough out on a lightly floured surface until approximately 1 mm (1/32 inch) thick.

Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out circles approximately 8-10 cm (3.15-3.94 inches) in diameter.

Gather the scraps, knead them together and roll them out again to make more circles.

You should have enough dough for approximately 18 culurgiones.

7. Fill and shape the culurgiones

Place a heaped teaspoon of potato filling in the centre of each circle.

To create the traditional braided closure, pinch one end of the dough and fold it slightly towards the filling. Take a small piece of dough from alternating sides and pinch each one towards the centre, overlapping the previous fold.

Continue until you reach the other end and pinch firmly to seal.

Don't worry if the first few aren't perfect. The traditional culurgiones shape takes a little practice!

Here's a video on how to shape them:

8. Cook the culurgiones

Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil.

Carefully add the culurgiones and cook for approximately 2 minutes 30 seconds. Once they float to the surface, cook them for another minute.

Remove carefully using a slotted spoon.

9. Serve

Spoon the warm tomato sauce onto your plates and arrange the freshly cooked culurgiones on top.

Finish with fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

A serving is approximately 6 culurgiones.

How to Shape Culurgiones

The traditional braided closure is probably the trickiest part of making culurgiones for the first time.

After placing the filling in the centre, start at one end of the pasta circle. Pinch the dough together, then alternate between the left and right sides, bringing a small amount of dough towards the centre each time. Each new pinch should slightly overlap the previous one.

This gradually creates the characteristic wheat-spike pattern.

The most important thing is not to overfill them. Too much filling makes it much harder to create the braid without tearing the pasta.

Substitutions

There are a few simple substitutions you can make depending on what you have available.

• Canned chopped tomatoes - Substitute with tomato passata for an even smoother sauce.
• Vegan pecorino - Nutritional yeast works well if you can't find vegan pecorino. Use approximately 5 tablespoons.
• Mint - Basil can be used instead, although mint gives the filling a more traditional flavour.
• Garlic - Shallots can be used for a milder, slightly sweeter flavour.

Equipment

You don't need a pasta machine to make culurgiones, although it can make rolling the dough evenly much easier.

You'll need:

• Large mixing or work surface
• Rolling pin or pasta machine
• 8-10 cm round cookie cutter or drinking glass
• Large pot
• Potato masher or fork
• Slotted spoon
• Saucepan
• Blender or immersion blender

If you're rolling the pasta by hand, take your time getting it very thin. Around 1 mm is ideal: thick enough to hold the filling but thin enough to create the characteristic braid.

Storage

Uncooked: Place the shaped culurgiones in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Boil them when you're ready to eat.

Frozen: Arrange the uncooked culurgiones in a single layer on a tray without letting them touch. Freeze until solid, then transfer them to freezer bags or containers. Cook directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.

Cooked: Store leftover cooked culurgiones in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For the best texture, however, they're best enjoyed freshly cooked.

The tomato sauce can be stored separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

FAQ

What are culurgiones?

Culurgiones are traditional stuffed pasta from Sardinia. They are typically filled with potatoes, cheese and mint and are famous for their distinctive hand-braided closure.

Can you make culurgiones without a pasta machine?

Yes. A rolling pin works perfectly well. Roll the dough as evenly as possible to approximately 1 mm thick before cutting it into circles.

Why is my culurgiones dough too dry?

The dough can look surprisingly dry when you first start kneading it. Give the semolina time to absorb the water before adding more. If it genuinely won't come together, add water only a few drops at a time.

Can I freeze homemade culurgiones?

Yes. Freeze them uncooked in a single layer first, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Cook them directly from frozen rather than defrosting them first.

What do you serve with culurgiones?

A simple tomato and garlic sauce is perfect because it complements the potato and mint filling without overpowering it. They're also delicious finished with fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil.

Are traditional culurgiones vegan?

Traditional culurgiones usually contain cheese, so they aren't normally vegan. This version replaces the dairy cheese with vegan pecorino or nutritional yeast while keeping the potato and mint filling.

Related

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