malloreddus

Malloreddus, sometimes Italianized as gnocchetti sardi, are a type of pasta typical of Sardinian cuisine. They have the shape of thin ribbed shells, about long, and are made of semolina flour and water. They are usually eaten with different sauces Malloreddus are typical of the area of Medio Campidano (Province of South Sardinia), but correspond to equivalent types of pasta, made with similar techniques, but in smaller sizes, in other parts of Sardinia and also known as "macarrones de punzu", cigiones, macarones caidos, cravaos. Cassulli from Carloforte (of Ligurian origin) can be reminiscent of malloreddus. Cassulli, in Sardinia, are found in the archipelago of Sulcis. Etymology The term malloreddu (plural malloreddus) could derive from the Latin mallolus, which means "trunk of dough", dumpling. A second possible etymology would make the name derive from a diminutive of the word malloru, which in Sardinian campidanese (southern and central-southern Sardinia) means bull. Consequently, malloreddus means little calves.