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Vegetarian, Italy

Sardinian culurgiones with tomato sauce

Sardinian culurgiones are hand sealed ravioli filled with potato, pecorino, mint and garlic, served with a basil tomato sauce. This recipe serves 4, takes 1h35, has a medium difficulty level and costs €1.80 per person. Success comes down to the wheat ear pleat that seals each ravioli and a filling that's well drained.

For a Sunday in the kitchen, here are Sardinian culurgiones, potato ravioli filled with pecorino and mint.

Sardinian culurgiones with tomato sauce
Total time
1 h 35
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€1.80
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring

The soft potato filling, sharpened by salty pecorino and a surprising hit of mint, gives culurgiones a flavor that stands apart from more familiar Italian ravioli. The thin dough wraps around it all without weighing it down, and the basil tomato sauce warms the dish without covering up that filling.

This is a weekend project, the kind you take your time with alongside a partner or kids old enough to help, rolling dough, shaping filling, repeating that little pleat again and again. It's not the fastest weeknight dinner, but it's ideal for having people over or filling a quiet afternoon in the kitchen.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 300 g
  • Lukewarm wateroften in the pantry 15 cl
  • Tomato passataoften in the pantry 500 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 400 g
  • Fresh mint 1 sprigs
  • Garlic 1 cloves
  • Fresh basil 1 sprigs

Dairy

  • Grated pecorino 80 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the flour, water, 1 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt, knead, then let rest under a towel. 30 min

    Rested dough is much more elastic and easier to roll out.

  2. Cook the potatoes, then mash them with the pecorino, chopped mint, garlic and olive oil. 25 min

    Press the potatoes well so they stay dry.

  3. Roll the dough out thin, cut out circles, place a ball of filling on each and seal with a wheat ear pleat.

    Lightly flour the work surface, the dough shouldn't stick.

  4. Heat the passata with the garlic and basil. 10 min

    A spoonful of olive oil at the end of cooking rounds out the sauce.

  5. Cook the culurgiones in simmering water until they float, then top with the tomato sauce. 6 min

    Don't crowd the pot, they'll stick together.

Our tips to get it right

  • Really let the dough rest under a towel, otherwise it springs back as you roll it and the circles become hard to cut.
  • Taste the filling before you start stuffing the ravioli, that's your only chance to adjust the salt or the mint.
  • Lay the shaped culurgiones on a floured towel without stacking them, they can stick together or tear otherwise.

The variations

  • Swap the pecorino for parmesan if you can't find it, the flavor will be slightly milder but it still works well.
  • This recipe is already vegetarian, you can make it dairy free by using a grated plant based cheese instead of pecorino.
  • To save time, shape simple square ravioli instead of the wheat ear pleat, the taste stays exactly the same.

What to serve it with

  • A simple green salad
  • A glass of Sardinian red wine
  • Bread for the sauce

Storage

Keep uncooked culurgiones on a floured tray in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking. Once cooked, they keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. You can also freeze them raw on a tray before transferring them to a bag, then drop them straight into simmering water from frozen.

Questions about this dish

Can you make culurgiones ahead of time?

Yes, you can shape them the day before and keep them in the fridge on a floured tray, covered with a towel. Cook them right before serving, since they lose texture if they sit around already cooked.

How do you keep the ravioli from opening while cooking?

The wheat ear pleat matters, it seals the dough far better than a simple pinch. Also make sure the edges are clean, with no filling in the way, before you close each one.

Can you substitute the fresh mint?

Mint gives the filling its distinctly Sardinian character, so it's best not to leave it out entirely. In a pinch, a little flat leaf parsley can work, though the flavor will be different.

Do culurgiones freeze well?

Yes, as long as you freeze them raw, before cooking, spaced out on a tray. Once they're firm, transfer them to a bag and cook them straight from frozen in simmering water.

How long does it take to make Sardinian culurgiones with tomato sauce?

Count 1 h 35 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in Sardinian culurgiones with tomato sauce?

About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Sardinian culurgiones with tomato sauce cost?

About €1.80 per serving, or €7.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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