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Gnocchetti Sardi, also known as Malloreddus, is one of the easiest pasta shapes to make at home! This hand-rolled pasta from Sardinia is made with a simple 2-ingredient vegan pasta dough.
To achieve the characteristic ridged shape, you use your thumb to roll little pieces of dough over a gnocchi board. If you don’t have a gnocchi board, you can use a fork to make the ridges.

Homemade gnocchetti sardi on a wooden gnocchi board.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

One batch of vegan pasta dough – all you need is semolina flour and water.
Gnocchi board or fork – to create the characteristic ridged shape.
Bench scraper or knife – to cut the dough into small pieces.
Plastic wrap – to cover the remaining dough and prevent it from drying out.
Baking tray – to store the pasta until ready to cook.
Semolina flour – to dust the pasta and prevent sticking.

Semolina pasta dough divided into six smaller pieces.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Prepare the semolina pasta dough. Tip the semolina flour on a work surface and use a little bowl to create a well in the center. Pour the warm water into the well and use a fork to mix the flour and water. Start from the center and incorporate more and more flour from the edges until it forms a thick paste. Then use your bench scraper to incorporate the rest of the flour and bring everything together into a shaggy dough. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. For more detailed instructions, please find the full recipe here.

Step 2

Cut off one quarter of the dough and cover the rest with cling film. On a pasta board, with both hands flat on the work surface, roll the piece of dough out into a long strand. Do this by rolling it in a back-and-forth motion, starting from the center and working your way outwards, until it’s about the width of your index finger. Cut the strand into small pieces (about 1 cm wide). Important: Do not flour your work surface when rolling out the dough, or it will just slide around.

Using a bench scraper to cut a rope of semolina pasta dough into small pieces.

Step 3

To shape the pasta, take one of the little dough pieces and place it on a wooden gnocchi board. Use your thumb and roll it down the board and away from you until it curls over your thumb. Gnocchetti Sardi should be hollow on the inside. This ensures that they cook evenly and are not too thick. Use just enough pressure to create that hollow shape, but not too much, or you’ll smash them.

Rolling a small piece of semolina pasta dough over a wooden gnocchi board to make homemade gnocchetti sardi.

Step 4

Place the malloreddus on a semolina dusted baking tray and arrange them in a single layer. Make sure they don’t touch each other, or they might stick and clump together. Repeat with the remaining dough. You can leave the pasta out at room temperature for a couple of hours until ready to cook. Cook the malloreddus in salted boiling water for about 2-3 minutes and serve them with your favorite sauce.

Tips & Tricks

If you want to store malloreddus for later use, you can freeze them in a single layer on a tray. Once frozen, you can transfer them to a plastic bag to save space. Cook them straight from frozen.
If you don’t have a gnocchi board, you can roll them over the back of a fork or the blunt side of a cheese grater to create an interesting pattern.

Common Questions About Gnocchetti Sardi

“Gnocchetti” means “small gnocchi”. They are a bit smaller than fresh gnocchi and made from a semolina pasta dough, whereas fresh gnocchi are made from a potato or ricotta dough.

Gnocchetti Sardi are often served “alla Campidanese” – with a tomato-based fennel sausage ragù.

You can prepare them a few hours before cooking or freeze them for later use.

Yes, you can easily make them without a gnocchi board. Simply roll them over the back of a fork to create the ridges. You can even roll them over the blunt side of a cheese grater, or other textured surfaces, to create an interesting pattern.

More Pasta Recipes You May Like:

Flatlay of a table with three plates of Malloreddus alla campidanese. Next to it are glasses of red wine and parmesan cheese.

Homemade cavatelli pasta on a copper backdrop with a small cup of flour next to them.

Nests of hand-rolled pici pasta on a baking tray.

homemade busiate pasta in bright sunlight on a wooden pasta board.

busiate pasta with pesto alla trapanese on a colorful plate.

How To Make Gnocchetti Sardi (Homemade Malloreddus)

published by: Julia

Gnocchetti Sardi, also known as Malloreddus, is one of the easiest pasta shapes to make at home! This hand-rolled pasta from Sardinia is made with a simple 2-ingredient vegan pasta dough. To achieve the characteristic ridged shape, you use your thumb to roll little pieces of dough over a gnocchi board. If you don’t have a gnocchi board, you can use a fork to make the ridges.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep 45

Resting Time 30

Total 1 15

Course Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings people

Calories 270 kcal

Equipment

Gnocchi board or fork – to create the characteristic ridged shape
Bench scraper or knife – to cut the dough into small pieces
Plastic wrap – to cover the remaining dough and prevent it from drying out
Baking tray – to store the pasta until ready to cook
Semolina flour – to dust the pasta and prevent sticking

Ingredients

One batch vegan pasta dough

300 g Semolina flour – fine semolina labelled "Semola rimacinata di grano duro"
145-150 g Water – warm

Instructions

Prepare the semolina dough: Tip the semolina flour on a work surface and use a little bowl to create a well in the center. Pour the warm water into the well and use a fork to mix the flour and water in the middle. Start from the center and incorporate more and more flour from the edges until it forms a thick paste. Then use a bench scraper to incorporate the rest of the flour and bring everything together into a shaggy dough. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. For more detailed instructions, please find the full recipe here.
Cut off one quarter of the dough and cover the rest with cling film. On a pasta board, with both hands flat on the work surface, roll the piece of dough out into a long strand. Do this by rolling it in a back-and-forth motion, starting from the center and working your way outwards, until it’s about the width of your index finger. Cut the strand into small pieces (about 1 cm wide). Important: Do not flour your work surface when rolling out the dough or it will just slide around.
To shape the pasta, take one of the little dough pieces and place it on a wooden gnocchi board. Use your thumb and roll it down the board and away from you until it curls over your thumb. Gnocchetti Sardi should be hollow on the inside. This ensures that they cook evenly and are not too thick. Use just enough pressure to create that hollow shape, but not too much, or you’ll smash them.
Place the malloreddus on a semolina dusted baking tray and arrange them in a single layer. Make sure they don’t touch each other, or they might stick and clump together. Repeat with the remaining dough. You can leave the pasta out at room temperature for a couple of hours until ready to cook.
Cook the malloreddus in salted boiling water for about 2-3 minutes and serve them with your favorite sauce.

Video

Notes

* If you want to store malloreddus for later use, you can freeze them in a single layer on a tray. Once frozen, you can transfer them to a plastic bag to save space. Cook them straight from frozen.

* If you don’t have a gnocchi board, you can roll them over the back of a fork or the blunt side of a cheese grater to create an interesting pattern.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 10gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 3gCalcium: 14mgIron: 3mg

Keywords Easy, Gnocchetti Sardi, hand-rolled pasta, homemade pasta, Malloreddus, semolina pasta, Vegan Pasta

How to Make Gnocchetti Sardi (Homemade Malloreddus)

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need