Culurgiones – Sardinian Pasta Pockets with Ricotta, Mint, and Tomato Sauce

Homemade pasta remains a staple in Sardinian family kitchens to this day. Our chef Ornella showcases her traditional Culurgiones, a dish that beautifully blends craftsmanship, Mediterranean ingredients, and the joy of Italian cuisine.It's perfect for you to recreate and savour at home!

Recipes

8 June 2026

6 Min.

Recipe for homemade Culurgiones

The combination of fresh herbs, warm tomato sauce and homemade pasta dough in the kitchen instantly evokes the Italian way of life. Our chef, Ornella, brings this very feeling to Menschels Vitalresort with her recipe for Sardinian culurgiones, these filled pasta pockets which originally come from the Italian island of Sardinia and are among its most famous traditional dishes. They are characterised by their distinctive shape: with a little dexterity, the edges are sealed to resemble small ears of grain or corn cobs. It is precisely this artisanal preparation that makes culurgiones special to this day.

Mediterranean ingredients and traditional preparation

The filling is made with a blend of potatoes, ricotta, mint and crispy fried bacon. This creates a mixture with a creamy texture, fresh herbal notes and a hearty aroma. The pasta pockets are served with a slow-cooked tomato sauce made with tomatoes, onions, carrots and celery.

The dough is kept simple on purpose: durum wheat semolina, water and a little salt are all that is needed to achieve the typical consistency of this Sardinian speciality.

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Ingredients

For the dough:

‍• 500 g durum wheat semolina
• 80 ml cold water
• 1 pinch of salt

For the filling:

‍• 7–8 medium potatoes
• 300 g bacon
• 10 mint leaves
• 3 eggs
• 250 g well-drained ricotta

For the sauce:

‍• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Carrots
• Celery

Preparation

Prepare the dough:

all the ingredients together to form a smooth, non-sticky dough. Leave to rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Prepare the filling:

Cook the potatoes and mash them into a fine purée. Fry the bacon until crispy without any additional oil. Chop it finely and mix it with the potatoes. Then stir in the ricotta, eggs and finely chopped mint leaves.

Prepare the tomato sauce:

‍Simmer the tomatoes slowly to create an aromatic sauce. Sautéed onions, carrots, and celery complement the sauce, adding extra depth and sweetness.

Shape the pasta pockets:

Roll out the dough until it is thin and cut out circles with a diameter of about 8 to 10 centimetres. Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each circle and shape the edges artfully with your fingers to resemble small 'corn cobs'.

Cook and serve:

Gently poach the pasta pockets in hot water – it should not be boiling vigorously. Then, quickly sauté the culurgiones in a pan with margarine and sage, and serve with tomato sauce.

Buon appetito! 😋

Culurgiones demonstrate the depth of flavour that can be achieved through traditional recipes, especially when prepared with time, experience and genuine passion.

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