A Warm Welcome & Discovering Sardinia
One of my favorite Sardinian recipes from the first time I cooked with my mother-in-law and celebrating my 30th birthday in Sardinia.
Sardinian Gnocchetti – Making Zizoneddos
I have been in Sardinia for three weeks now and am finally able to understand a bit more Italian. My first week in Sardinia, I could hardly understand anything anyone said to me. Though I have traveled to Europe and Asia before, I never felt that culture shock which so many people talk about. But surprisingly this time around I had a difficult time my first week in Sardinia. Don’t get me wrong, this trip has been amazing so far. Sardinia is gorgeous, the people are very friendly, and the food and wine are incredible! However, I seemed to have lost my voice upon arrival, so to speak.
We are staying in my boyfriend’s family home with his parents while here and his parents don’t speak or understand any English. My first week in their home, I had no idea what they were saying to me. While I can understand a bit of Italian now, his parents also speak more Sardo than Italian anyway. In general, I haven’t had to “meet the parents” in years. But to meet the parents and not be able to ask them questions or tell them about myself or easily communicate while staying in their home seemed very daunting.
And to be honest, the first week was a little daunting for me. I tried to speak with them in English and, of course, they couldn’t understand. I attempted to speak in Italian and they definitely didn’t understand. Hand gestures, hugs, and positive body language helped. But the language barrier was real.
I never had so much difficulty communicating in my life. I even attempted to use the Google translator app, but I don’t think Mama Pina was feeling it. Marco’s dad had no problem speaking with me even though he knew I couldn’t understand everything. However, his mom was more timid to speak with me and insisted on talking to me through Marco. I was and still am dying to get to know his parents better. And I would imagine they may feel the same way about me. But only time and studying can remedy the verbal communication situation.
So when words were failing me, I turned to a universal language we can all count on – food!
“Quando possiamo cucinare?” I asked Mamma Pina. When can we cook?
The next day we were in the kitchen together with Marco and Papa Sanna watching over us. Marco also insisted on opening a bottle of rosato for everyone to drink together because in Sardinia where there is food there is wine.
On the menu: zizoneddos con finocchietto selvatico e salsa di pomodoro. Translation: Sardinian gnocchetti with wild fennel and tomato sauce.
If you’re doing a Google search for a similar recipe, these gnocchetti are generally known under the name Malloreddus. However, Marco’s family knows this lovely little pasta as Zizoneddos because that is the name of the pasta in Anela, his family’s village.
One of the things I love about the Sanna household is that everything is homemade and homegrown. Salad, herbs, and vegetables come from the garden in the backyard. Mushrooms and wild herbs are foraged from the mountains. The family even makes their own wine and cheese! And in this case, the zizoneddos on the menu would all be made by hand.
Making Zizoneddos
First, Mamma Pina heated a small pot of water on the stove until it was warm but not simmering. You want tepid water, or acqua tepida in Italiano. Then we got started on the simple tomato sauce before Mama Pina pulled back the tablecloth from the wooden kitchen table which would be our surface for pasta making.
While cooking is a science, measurements don’t always have to be exact. Mama Pina only uses her hands as measuring utensils and does not rely on the help of scales, measuring cups, or tablespoons/teaspoons. So I have estimated a few of the measurements in the recipe below. Feel free to adjust to your taste.
For the zizoneddos, using both hands Mama Pina measured 5 big handfuls of semola flour. This flour is made from durham wheat and is not to be confused with semolina – a more coarsely ground flour than semola. This was enough flour to make about a bread loaf sized mound of pasta dough which we used for the Sardinian gnocchetti and for a batch of ravioli. So for the recipe below, I adjusted the amount of flour to be suitable for the zizoneddos. That being said, you can adjust the amount of flour to make a larger or smaller batch of gnocchetti.
Put the semola flour into a large bowl. Slowly drizzle the warm water over the flour while using your hands to combine (a squeezing motion works well to start). Once all of the flour is combined, remove the mixture from the bowl and place onto a wooden surface. As mentioned above, we used the wooden kitchen table which I later found out has been in the family for over thirty years! Imagine all of the pasta and bread that has been made on that table!
Next, knead the dough with your hands until the dough is as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Use the palms and heels of your hands to push the dough forward against the table and then pull back. When the dough gets stretched out to the sides, fold the dough back in on itself and continue kneading. Watching Mama Pina work the dough was incredible, her hands moving with such efficiency and ease.
When the dough is completely smooth, form into a large oval shape and allow the dough to rest under a hand towel for 10 minutes or so. When you are ready to form the gnocchetti, cut off a piece of dough about 2 inches wide. Cut that piece into 4 or 5 smaller pieces.
Next, using your hands roll each piece of dough into longer strands. You’ll want to use the top of your palms and the base of your fingers. Gently roll outwards with your hands transitioning your hand orientation from straightforward to a 45° angle as you roll, stretching the dough outwards as you roll back and forth. You will end with a strand of dough about 2 feet long, 2 cm wide, and cylindrical in shape.
Once you have the strands formed, fold them in half lining the halves up against one another. Cut each strand of dough into small and equal pieces, about 1.5 – 2 cm long.
Then, using your thumbs, press each small piece of dough into the curved shape traditional of the zizoneddos. In order to do so, gently press down on a small piece of dough with the pad of your thumb and roll from the center of the pad to the lower edge of your thumb. Use a pushing/flicking motion to create the curved shell-like shape of the zizoneddos.
Lay out the completed Sardinian gnocchi pieces on a large sheet pan or tray covered in parchment paper while you finish making the rest of the pasta. The Sardinian gnocchi can be cooked right away or frozen for use at a later date.
To finish the zizonnedos dish, cook the gnocchetti in boiling water with wild fennel (finochietto selvatico), then toss with a homemade tomato sauce and cheese of your choice. To make this dish even more special, get in the kitchen with someone you love. Cooking the zizonnedos together definitely brought Mama Pina and I closer, language barrier and all. Follow the recipe below and don’t forget the wine!
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 onion, diced
45 ounces tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried basil leaves (or 1 large pinch)
1/4 tsp sugar (or one small pinch)
1 tbsp salt
2 cups semola flour (500 grams)
1 cup wild fennel/finocchietto selvatico (fresh herb)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions: Zizoneddos - Sardinian Gnocchetti
Warm a small pot of water until tepid.
Measure 2 cups (500 grams) of semola flour into a large bowl. Create a shallow hole in the center of the flour and slowly drizzle the tepid water into the flour with one hand while mixing with your other hand.
Using a squeezing motion, combine the semola flour and water until no loose flour is left.
Once combined, remove the rough dough from the bowl and place on a wooden surface or table. Knead the dough with your hands until the dough becomes smooth to the touch, but not so soft that it is extremely pliable between your fingers.
Allow the dough to rest under a kitchen towel or cloth for 10 minutes.
Cut off a piece of dough about 1.5 inches wide. Then cut that piece into 4 or 5 other pieces lengthwise.
Using the tops of your palms and base of your fingers, roll each piece of dough out into a long, cylindrical strand. Start with your hands oriented forward and turn outwards to a 45° angle as you roll in order to stretch the dough into a long strand about 2 ft. long, 2 cm wide, and round like a cylinder.
Fold each strand of dough in half, lining up the halves of each strand against each other.
Cut each strand into pieces of dough about 2 cm long, similar to the size of the nail on your pinky finger.
Using the pad of your thumb, gently press down and forward on each small piece of dough using a rolling motion to create the curved shape of the zizoneddos.
Lay the formed pasta onto a sheet pan or tray lined with parchment paper as you repeat the process with the rest of the dough. The pasta can be cooked immediately to serve or frozen to cook at a later date
Instructions: Zizoneddos with Wild Fennel and Tomato Sauce
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
In a separate medium sized pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced 1/4 onion and minced clove of garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the onion is translucent.
Add 45 ounces of tomato sauce to the aromatics. Add 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp (or a pinch) of sugar, and 1 tbsp of dried basil leaves.
Allow the tomato sauce to simmer on low heat while you prepare the fresh pasta. At least 15 minutes.
Once the water has come to a boil, add 1 cup fresh wild fennel herb (finnocchietto selvatico). Cook the pasta in the herbed water for 4-5 minutes. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so watch the pasta and taste test to ensure you do not overcook the pasta.
Drain the pasta and finnocchietto selvatico in a colander. Top the pasta and wild fennel with the tomato sauce and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or a cheese of your choosing).
Discovering Beautiful Sardinia
Sardinia is a breathtakingly beautiful island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea that truly has it all. Mountains to climb, the crystal blue Mediterranean Sea to swim in, sprawling vineyards to visit, unique wines to discover, mouthwatering cuisine, and an incredibly rich historic culture. Many people know and visit Sardinia for the picturesque beaches, but Sardinia is so much more!
First of all, Sardinia is an ancient island steeped in tradition. So ancient, in fact, that there is an ongoing theory in which Sardinia is believed to be the island described in Plato’s Atlantis written around 360 BC. So old that there are remnants of approximately 7,000 stone structures covering the island constructed by a mysterious indigenous civilization known as the Nuragic people who inhabited Sardinia from the Bronze to early Iron Age.
On this trip, I only discovered the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Sardinian history. Through exploring different wine regions, learning about traditional Sardinian masks and costumes in museums, and hiking from gigantic calcareous mountains down to the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, I got the sense that Sardinia is full of wisdom gained over many, many years. If you ever get the chance to visit Sardinia, I know you’ll feel the same.
Traditions are not lost here. Sardinians are definitely proud of their heritage and some even believe Sardinia is a country in and of itself. I almost have to agree because I have visited Italy before and can honestly say Sardinia feels quite different from the country on the mainland. I feel especially fortunate for my time in Sardinia because I was able to experience the island like a local since I was staying with my boyfriend’s family. One of my favorite nights in Sardinia was on my 30th birthday. We went traditional Sardinian dancing with Marco’s parents and their dance group who convene at a local church regularly for ballu tundu or ballu sardu, the traditional folk dances of Sardinia.
People still wear traditional costumes for dancing and for festivals. In the villages I witnessed the old tradition of widowed women wearing black for the rest of their lives following the death of a husband. So beautiful and so sad. Traditional Sardinian music is also still very popular. My boyfriend and his friends still listen to this music and I even watched as a group of older men busted into a traditional a capella song at a wine street festival one night.
My favorite part of Sardinian culture is the emphasis on community and family. We visited my boyfriend’s relatives in the village multiple times. And this was not just a visit to one house, but visits to multiple houses to spend time with everyone! Oh, and at every house you MUST eat and drink something, of course. While the experience was exhausting at first for this American from a tiny family, I grew to love the feeling of being part of a large family. Everyone tries to stay close.
We’ll be driving down the street or out running errands and bump into someone my boyfriend knows. People warmly greet you for both hello and goodbye as you are coming and going from a store, restaurant, or bar. For my birthday, Marco and his family threw me a party at the house in which at least fifteen people came over throughout the day. His mom cooked a four course meal, Marco’s friends who had just met me for the first time a week earlier bought me presents, and they even surprised me with a cake with pictures of me, my friends and family on the frosting! The way I was so warmly welcomed into an incredible group of family and friends even when I couldn’t speak the same language to easily communicate with everyone truly has me in awe of the Sardinian people.
Lastly, the food and wine here are AMAZING and imperative to everyday culture. Whether you’re meeting at a bar for aperitivo or gathering around the table for a home cooked meal, eating is important. Quite hilariously, when people aren’t eating they are often talking about a meal they recently had or something delicious to be eaten soon. As can be expected, the pizza and pasta in Sardinia are phenomenal. On my birthday, the family took me out to a trattoria in Sassari to try traditional dishes of Sardinia. I had some incredible vegetable dishes and even some more adventurous ones like snails and lamb intestines (surprisingly good). You can look forward to some veggie recipes on the blog inspired by these typical Sardinian dishes!
I have been fortunate to stay in the house of an incredible cook! Homemade raviolis, pastas, and soups are regularly on the menu. I’ve had the traditional dish of porceddu, a spit-roasted suckling pig, twice now – beyond delicious! Saedas, one of Sardinia’s traditional desserts made of fried pastry stuffed with a lemony cheese and drizzled in fresh honey, are also next level yummy. Fresh produce is grown at home and olives, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, yogurt, and all kinds of pickled vegetables are homemade. Many Sardinian families even make their own wine at home!
I’m not the biggest bread person, but one thing I will miss most at meal time when we leave Sardinia is pane curasau. This traditional Sardinian bread goes with every meal. People in Sardinia often actually have pane curasau with every meal. More like an almost paper-thin giant cracker than a bread, pane curasau has an extensive history within Sardinian culture. The recipe and methods for making pane curasau have been passed down from nonnas, to daughters, to grandchildren. I was fortunate to learn how to make pane curasau with Marco’s family in an all-day bread making marathon.
While my month in Sardinia is coming to an end, I can definitely say this is a time in my life I will cherish forever. From being warmly welcomed into a family of truly good people to exploring beaches, mountains, vineyards and wineries with the love of my life, this past month has been one for the books!
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