Culurgiones d'Ogliastra con Patate e Menta

Make the dough. Mound the semolina on the work surface, add the salt, and work in the lukewarm water gradually, kneading firmly for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, firm, and distinctly elastic — unlike egg pasta, it will feel resistant under the hands. Wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it springs back slowly but completely after a thumb-press.

Make the filling while the potatoes are still hot. Peel the boiled potatoes and pass them through a ricer or mash thoroughly — no lumps. Immediately work in the grated Pecorino Sardo, the minced garlic, the lard, and the chopped fresh mint. The heat of the potato melts the cheese into a cohesive mass. The filling is ready when it holds its shape when pressed but is still faintly warm and uniformly smooth, with the mint distributed evenly throughout. Do not allow it to cool completely before proceeding.

Roll the rested dough to a thickness of approximately 2–3 mm. Cut rounds of 8–9 cm diameter. Place a generous teaspoon of filling at the centre of each round, keeping a clear border of at least 1 cm all around.

Seal each culurgione with the spighetta (wheat-ear braid). Fold the round over the filling to form a half-moon. Beginning at one end of the seam, pinch the edge firmly between thumb and forefinger, then fold a small tab of the upper edge over itself and press to seal — repeating this overlapping fold along the entire seam, working deliberately toward the other end. Each fold must be pressed with full, even pressure before the next begins. The finished seal resembles a braided wheat ear running the length of the parcel. This is where the dish lives or dies: a hurried or insufficiently pressed fold will open in the pot, losing the filling entirely.

Prepare a simple tomato sauce: cook the passed tomatoes briefly until they lose their raw smell and thicken slightly. Remove from heat and set aside. The sauce is ready when its colour deepens from bright to a muted brick-red and it no longer smells sharp and raw.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil. Lower the culurgiones in carefully, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Cook at a steady, gentle simmer for 6–8 minutes. Vigorous boiling will damage the braid. The culurgiones are done when they float and the dough at the thickest point of the seal feels tender but not collapsing when pressed very lightly with a fingertip.

Lift the culurgiones from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to warmed plates. Spoon the tomato sauce over, add a few leaves of fresh basil, and serve immediately. The pasta should glisten and the braid remain intact and clearly defined.