At Mira in Buffalo’s Elmwood Village, executive chef Manny Ocasio and executive pastry chef and pasta maker Gina Ocasio are building a menu inspired by the coastal cuisines of Italy, Spain, and Greece, with a strong emphasis on handmade pasta and seasonal ingredients. Drawing on experience from restaurants including Manresa, Del Posto, and Fiore Fine Foods, the husband and wife team introduce diners to dishes and techniques that remain difficult to find outside of Italy.
Culurgiones are a dumpling-like pasta that originates from Sardinia, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea. The filling is traditionally made with potatoes, mint and pecorino cheese. The filling is encased in a dough that is intricately folded, yielding an end result of a beautiful ear-shaped dumpling with folds resembling petals. The pasta is then boiled and typically served in a fresh tomato sauce. We chose to include culurgiones on our menu because it is such a unique and incredibly delicious pasta dish that is hard to find in most restaurants in the area.
At Mira, we edit the flavors to accompany the seasons. In the fall, the culurgiones are filled with sweet potato with a sauce of brown butter and sage. Currently, the pasta is served in a butter sauce with local ramps and finished with shaved truffled pecorino. We add a touch of lemon zest to add some brightness and mascarpone to add extra creaminess. We’re so excited that guests have been excited and open to try this pasta!
Looking for more Italian inspired summer recipes? Explore seasonal dishes, pastas, desserts, and warm weather entertaining ideas at Appetito.
Mira's Sardinian Culurgiones
4
servings1
hour40
minutesMira Buffalo Culurgiones Recipe | Sardinian Stuffed Pasta
Dough
2 cups 2 00 flour (250g)
1 3/4 cups 1 3/4 semolina (250g)
1 1/2 tbsp. 1 1/2 olive oil (20g)
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. 3/4 cup water (220g/ml)
- Filling
4 lbs. 4 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled
3 tbsp. 3 mint, finely chopped
1 small 1 lemon (for zest)
3 cups 3 pecorino, finely grated (240g)
1/2 cup 1/2 mascarpone (150g)
1 1/4 tsp. 1 1/4 salt
Directions for dough
- Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl with a dough hook attachment (this can also be mixed by hand if a mixer is not available to you).
- Mix on low speed for approximately 5-7 minutes or until a smooth dough forms.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature before shaping.
- Directions for filling
- Peel the potatoes.
- Place in a medium sized pot with 2 tsp. salt and about 3 quarts of cold water. Make sure there is enough water to fully cover the potatoes.
- Simmer the potatoes until they are completely cooked through and fork tender.
- Once the potatoes are done cooking, strain.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment (potato masher will also yield great results if you do not have a mixer).
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl.
- Mix for 1 minute on medium speed until everything is evenly distributed.
- Taste the filling for salt and adjust to your liking.
- Place the filling in the refrigerator until completely cool.
- Transfer filling into a piping bag just before shaping the pasta.
- Making the culurgiones
- Sheet the dough very thin by hand or with a pasta maker, as if making ravioli (you should almost be able to see through the dough).
- Using a 3 inch circular ring cutter, cut circles out of the sheeted dough.
- Cut an opening at the tip of the piping bag that holds the pasta filling.
- Pipe a large amount of potato filling onto each circle. It may seem like too much filling, but once you start shaping, you’ll see that more is preferred and makes the folds easier.
- Spray the pasta with a small amount of water to help the dough stick.
- To fold the pasta: hold the circle in your non-dominant hand like a taco.
- Using two fingers, start pinching the dough by bringing in some from the left side, then some from the right.
- Slowly work your way up, folding each fold over the last.
- Pinch the dough at the top to encase all of the filling.
- Boil for approximately 3-4 minutes in salted water.
- Toss the cooked culurgiones in tomato sauce, top with pecorino cheese and enjoy your new favorite pasta!
Notes
- For best accuracy, use a kitchen scale if available.
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