main dishes sardinian

Lorighittas alla Campidanese

Name: Lorighittas alla Campidanese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: sardinian
Ingredients: 350 g Lorighittas (Fresh or dried; if dried, expect about 15 minutes cooking time); 300 g Fresh sausage (Casing removed, crumbled with a fork); 0.5 medium Onion (White onion, finely chopped); 3.5 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil; 0.5 cup Dry white wine (Vernaccia di Oristano or any crisp dry white); 500 g Tomato pulp (Polpadoro or crushed peeled tomatoes); 20 ml Tomato passata; 0.125 tsp Saffron (1 sachet Sardinian saffron from San Gavino Monreale, dissolved in warm water); 5 leaves Fresh basil; 0.75 cup Pecorino Sardo (Aged, grated — plus extra for serving); 0.5 tsp Salt

Handmade Sardinian ring pasta from Morgongiori with fresh sausage, saffron, and tomato — a traditional Campidanese Sunday dish.

Carnivore Nut-Free

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Prep 10 min

Cook 30 min

Total 40 min

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

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Instructions

Finely chop the onion. Warm the olive oil in a wide, low-sided pan over medium heat and soften the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the crumbled sausage to the pan. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it has browned well, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Deglaze with the white wine. Let it bubble and reduce completely before moving on.
Add the tomato pulp and passata. Dissolve the saffron in a splash of warm water and stir it in. Season with salt, add the basil leaves, and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tip: The sauce is even better if you make it the evening before and reheat it gently.
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the lorighittas until al dente — about 5 minutes for fresh, 12 to 15 for dried.
Drain the pasta, reserving a small ladle of cooking water. Transfer the lorighittas directly into the sauce and toss to coat, adding a splash of pasta water if the sauce needs loosening.
Remove from heat. Finish with a generous shower of grated pecorino and a final drizzle of raw olive oil. Serve immediately.

Storage & Meal Prep

The sauce improves overnight. Store separately from the pasta and recombine when reheating.

Variations

With Fennel Sausage: Use fresh fennel sausage instead of plain for a more aromatic version.
Without Tomato: Skip the tomato and finish with just sausage, wine, saffron, and pecorino — closer to the dry Campidanese style used for malloreddus.
Making Lorighittas from Scratch: Combine 400 g semolina flour, 200 ml water, and 2 g salt into a smooth dough. Rest 20 minutes, roll into 2 mm thick ropes about 20 cm long, then wrap each around three fingers, seal the ends, and twist the strands around themselves to form the ring. Fresh lorighittas cook in about 5 minutes; dried ones need roughly 15.

FAQ

What are lorighittas?

Lorighittas are a handmade Sardinian pasta from Morgongiori, in the province of Oristano. The name comes from the Sardinian word lòriga, meaning small ring or earring. Each piece is shaped by wrapping a thin dough strand around three fingers and twisting it into a closed ring. They are recognized as a Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale (PAT).

Can I use a different pasta shape?

Malloreddus or rigatoni work well with this sauce, but the texture of lorighittas — their porosity and ring shape — is part of what makes the dish distinctive. If you cannot find them, malloreddus are the closest Sardinian substitute.

Why is the sauce better made the day before?

Resting the sauce overnight lets the sausage fat, tomato, and saffron meld together. The flavors become deeper and more rounded, which is how this dish is traditionally prepared for Sunday lunch.

What kind of sausage should I use?

Fresh Sardinian sausage, ideally with some fennel or anise seed in the seasoning. If you are outside Sardinia, a good quality Italian fresh sausage with mild seasoning works. Remove the casing before cooking.

The Story Behind This Dish

In the Campidano, Lorighittas alla Campidanese belongs on the Sardinian home table. I build it around lorighittas, sausage, and onion.

I finely chop the onion. I warm the olive oil in a wide, low-sided pan over medium heat and soften the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. I add the crumbled sausage to the pan. I cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it has browned well, about 5 to 7 minutes.

I drain the pasta, reserving a small ladle of cooking water. I transfer the lorighittas directly into the sauce and toss to coat, adding a splash of pasta water if the sauce needs loosening. I remove from heat. I finish with a generous shower of grated pecorino and a final drizzle of raw olive oil. I serve immediately.

Part of: The Sardinian Kitchen