Malloreddus Alla Campidanese (Gnocchetti Sardi)

Malloreddus is one of the traditional pasta people have on the island. They are usually prepared for special occasions: no festival occurs in Sardinia without malloreddus being abundantly served. It’s the kind of dish you usually eat at home, on Sundays, or find at trattorie (local eateries) or agriturismo – that’s where you will get them served with the most traditional sauce. Restaurants usually serve variations of the traditional malloreddus alla campidanese recipe, or simply ignore the traditions and serve them with other new (and delicious) sauces. The origins of the name malloreddus are unclear. Some say it comes from the Latin “mallolus,” which means morsel, little bite. Others claim that the name comes from “malloru,” which in the Campidanese dialect of the Sardinian language means bull. Malloreddus would thus mean “calves.”