Purple Potato Culurgiones
- Lactose Free
- Vegetarian
- Energy Kcal 609
- Carbohydrates g 73.1
- of which sugars g 5.4
- Protein g 19.7
- Fats g 26.5
- of which saturated fat g 7.26
- Fiber g 11.4
- Cholesterol mg 20
- Sodium mg 943
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 60 min
- Cook time: 40 min
- Serving: 4
- Cost: Low
- Note + 1 hour and a half of resting time
PRESENTATION
Culurgiones from Sardinia’s Ogliastra region really stand out, especially with that violet twist. Seriously, the culurgiones recipe is all about handmade tradition, but using purple potatoes gives these little pockets a fun pop of color. Each one gets filled with a creamy mix of purple potato pasta filling, sharp Sardinian pecorino cheese, and fresh mint leaves. Honestly, it’s a bit tangy and super inviting. And look, the way folks shape these dumplings—pinching and braiding by hand—is about keeping old-school skills alive. Families have passed down their own tricks for sealing that moist filling inside, so every bite has just the right mix of flavor and texture. Pretty amazing, right? Nothing beats seeing a tray of Sardinian stuffed pasta ready to go, all shiny and plump. You’re tasting something that connects you right to Sardinia’s roots.
Purple potato culurgiones don’t just look cool; they’ve got a flavor that’s earthy and just a bit sweet from those colorful potatoes. I mean, some folks around Sardinia even riff on the traditional version, making gourmet spins with beetroot or swapping in a blue cheese sauce for something bold. But the heart of the culurgiones recipe is always about that blend of local cheese, potatoes, and mint. And the sauce? Serving them with sautéed artichokes is a move that shows off another classic Sardinian ingredient. The artichokes turn golden and a little crispy in the pan, and they match up perfectly with the pasta’s soft bite. In places like Ogliastra, making these dumplings is kind of a celebration, with everyone pitching in to get the folds and shapes just right. Whether you stick with traditional Sardinian stuffed pasta or try the purple potato version, it’s a dish that makes you want to keep practicing until yours look just as good as the ones passed around at big family gatherings. You end up with food that’s not just tasty, but a real piece of Sardinian culture right there on your plate. It's about embracing a culinary art form that’s beautiful and satisfying, offering a taste of tradition with every bite. For sure, it’s really really special.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for 30 culurgiones
- Extra virgin olive oil ¾ tbsp (10 g)
- Water ½ cup (140 g)
- Fine salt 1 pinch
- Remilled durum wheat semolina 0.7 cup (110 g)
- Type 00 flour 1 ¼ cup (150 g)
- for the filling
- Purple potatoes 1.1 lbs (500 g)
- Sardinian pecorino cheese 1.75 oz (50 g)
- Garlic 1 clove
- Extra virgin olive oil 2.8 tbsp (40 g)
- Mint to taste
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- for the dressing
- Artichokes 3 - Sardinian spiny artichokes
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Garlic 1 clove
- Sardinian pecorino cheese 1.75 oz (50 g)
- Black pepper to taste
- Fine salt to taste
- Mint to taste
How to prepare Purple Potato Culurgiones
To prepare the purple potato culurgiones with artichokes, first take care of the filling: wash the purple potatoes 1 and then boil them in water 2 for about 30 minutes from boiling; check the cooking by piercing them with the prongs of a fork. Mash them while still hot with a potato masher into a bowl 3,
then add the Pecorino cheese 4, a clove of pressed garlic 5, some chopped fresh mint leaves 6,
olive oil 7, salt, and pepper. Mix well by kneading by hand 8, cover with plastic wrap 9, and refrigerate to firm up for at least 1 hour.
Now prepare the dough for the culurgiones: in a bowl, pour the flour, semolina 10, room temperature water 11, salt, and oil 12.
Mix the mixture first with a fork 13 and then for a few minutes by hand 14, transferring to the work surface for convenience 15. You should obtain a smooth and elastic dough.
Form a ball, cover with plastic wrap 16, and let it rest at room temperature for half an hour. After this time, prepare the culurgiones: take the dough ball and take a small portion (keep the rest covered in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out) 17, roll out the dough, after lightly dusting it with semolina, using the pasta roller to thickness no. 7 18.
From the obtained sheet 19, cut out discs with a 3.5-inch diameter cookie cutter 20. Take a walnut-sized piece of filling and place it in the center of the dough disc 21.
Take the disc and fold one edge of the dough over the filling 22. Now pinch the dough on the side of the edge and drag it over the folded edge 23 (the dough is elastic, so you can pull it gently without tearing it), and immediately repeat the operation on the other side 24.
Continue bringing each pinch of dough alternately towards the center to form a sort of braid. Once at the top, seal the tuft, and your first culurgione is ready 25. Continue in this way, you should obtain about 30 pieces. Once the culurgiones are finished, prepare the dressing: clean the artichokes by removing the harder outer leaves 26 and cutting off the tips 27.
Then cut them in half and extract the central choke 28, now you can cut them into thin slices 29 and store them in acidified water with lemon 30 as you slice them.
Prepare the sauté with oil and garlic in a shirt, add the drained artichokes 31, salt them, and cook them over high heat, stirring often for about 5 minutes, at the end of cooking remove the garlic clove 32. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil and cook the culurgiones 33, no more than ten at a time.
Once it resumes boiling, cook them for 3-4 minutes, then drain them directly into the pan with the artichokes 34. Mix gently and then serve the purple potato and artichoke culurgiones on the plate, complete with pepper, Pecorino flakes 35, and mint leaves 36.