Sardinian gnocchi with tomato sauce is a simple pasta of malloreddus shells in a fresh cherry tomato and basil sauce, finished with aged pecorino and ready in about 40 minutes. It feeds 4 and works as an easy weeknight dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
The sauce starts by softening the onion in olive oil over gentle heat. Cooking it slowly turns the onion sweet instead of sharp, and that sweetness rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes.
Basil goes in near the end of the simmer, not at the start. Long cooking dulls its flavor, so a short time in the pan keeps the fresh, green smell in the sauce.
Malloreddus are small ridged shells, and the grooves hold on to the sauce. Tossing the drained pasta with the sauce, then adding pecorino at the table, gives every shell a coating of tomato and a salty, sharp finish.
Sardinian Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce Ingredients
For the sauce
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds pomodorini (very sweet cherry tomatoes), passata or chopped tomatoes
- 6 basil leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pasta
- 14 ounces malloreddus pasta
- 2 ounces aged pecorino cheese, grated
How To Make Sardinian Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
Make the tomato sauce
- Soften the onion: Heat the olive oil in a pan over low to medium heat and add the chopped onion. Fry it gently until it turns soft, so it sweetens without browning.
- Simmer the tomatoes: Add the tomatoes and cook them gently for 20 minutes. Keep the heat low so the sauce reduces slowly and the tomatoes keep their sweetness.
- Add basil and season: Near the end of the 20 minutes, tear in the 6 basil leaves and season with salt and pepper. If the sauce looks too thick, loosen it with a little water.
Cook the pasta and serve
- Boil the pasta: While the sauce simmers, cook the malloreddus in a large pot of boiling salted water. Follow the package directions, or cook until al dente, about 11 to 12 minutes, then drain.
- Toss with the sauce: Mix the drained pasta into the sauce so every ridged shell gets coated.
- Finish with pecorino: Spoon the pasta into bowls and top with the grated pecorino, so it melts a little into the hot sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Choose sweet tomatoes: Ripe cherry tomatoes give the best flavor. If you use passata or chopped tomatoes instead, pick a good brand, since the sauce has few ingredients to hide behind.
- Watch the thickness: The sauce should coat the pasta without clumping. Add water a spoonful at a time if it gets too thick.
- Salt the water well: The pasta cooks in the salted water and takes in its seasoning there. Unsalted water leaves the shells bland, whatever the sauce tastes like.
- Buy the pasta ready made: Malloreddus take a lot of work to make by hand, including half an hour of kneading and shaping each piece. Store-bought dried malloreddus give you the same result with no effort.
What To Serve With Sardinian Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
Serve the pasta straight from the pot in warm bowls, with extra grated pecorino on the table. A green salad with a sharp lemon dressing or a plate of grilled vegetables goes well alongside.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftover pasta in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: The tomato sauce freezes well on its own for 2 to 3 months. Freeze it without the pasta and thaw it in the fridge.
- Reheat: Warm the pasta in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water until it is hot all the way through.
FAQs
What are malloreddus?
Malloreddus are small, ridged shells of durum wheat pasta from Sardinia, often called Sardinian gnocchi. They look like tiny gnocchi but are made from semolina dough, not potato. Their grooves hold the sauce well.
Can I use another pasta if I can’t find malloreddus?
Yes. Cavatelli, gnocchetti sardi or small shells work well because they also have a shape that holds sauce. Cook them to al dente by the package directions.
Is Sardinian gnocchi with tomato sauce vegetarian?
The sauce itself has no meat, but pecorino is traditionally made with animal rennet, so strict vegetarians should check the label. Leaving out the cheese makes the dish dairy-free.
Can I make the tomato sauce ahead?
Yes. The sauce keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and its flavor improves overnight. Reheat it gently, add a little water if it has thickened, and toss it with freshly cooked pasta.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 640 kcal
- Total Fat: 28g
- Total Carbohydrate: 80g
- Dietary Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 18g
Sardinian Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
4
servings10
minutes30
minutes40
minutesMalloreddus pasta shells tossed in a quick cherry tomato and basil sauce and topped with aged pecorino. A simple Sardinian dinner for 4 that comes together in about 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the sauce
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds pomodorini (very sweet cherry tomatoes), passata or chopped tomatoes
6 basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the pasta
14 ounces malloreddus pasta
2 ounces aged pecorino cheese, grated
Directions
- Soften the onion: Heat the olive oil in a pan over low to medium heat and add the chopped onion. Fry it gently until it turns soft, so it sweetens without browning.
- Simmer the tomatoes: Add the tomatoes and cook them gently for 20 minutes. Keep the heat low so the sauce reduces slowly and the tomatoes keep their sweetness.
- Add basil and season: Near the end of the 20 minutes, tear in the 6 basil leaves and season with salt and pepper. If the sauce looks too thick, loosen it with a little water.
- Boil the pasta: While the sauce simmers, cook the malloreddus in a large pot of boiling salted water. Follow the package directions, or cook until al dente, about 11 to 12 minutes, then drain.
- Toss with the sauce: Mix the drained pasta into the sauce so every ridged shell gets coated.
- Finish with pecorino: Spoon the pasta into bowls and top with the grated pecorino, so it melts a little into the hot sauce.
