What is Malloreddus Pasta?
Malloreddus pasta is a type of gnocchi originating in Sardinia, Italy. There are a few things that distinguish this regional pasta from other types of gnocchi. First, look at the ridges on the Malloreddus paddle on the left, vs. a typical gnocchi paddle on the right. The ridges are wider and deeper on the Malloreddus paddle, to create the distinctive grooves. They really soak up the sauce!
What about gluten?
Malloreddus pasta is traditionally made with semolina flour and water. Of course, semolina is off limits on the gluten free diet, so for my gluten free adaptation, I used the new Gluten Free Bread Flour from Better Batter. You can try this recipe with any one-to-one gluten free all-purpose blend. I added water, salt and just a bit of olive oil, to help the dough come together.
Wait, no eggs?
Did you notice that there are no eggs in the ingredient list? Traditional Malloreddus Pasta is egg free. Only flour, water and salt. I know that some of my readers can’t have eggs, if you are one of them then this pasta is for you!
Another unique feature.
Did you know that Malloreddus pasta is sometimes infused with saffron? Just a pinch gives the dough beautiful color, it almost looks like I added an egg yolk!
This post contains affiliate links.
4 Servings (depending on your appetite!)
Ingredients:
For the pasta
- 130 g. (1 cup) gluten free all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup warm water, divided
- pinch of saffron
Preparation:
For the pasta, add a pinch of saffron to 1/4 cup warm water. Let it steep for 15 minutes.
Whisk together the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in the infused liquid through a sieve, reserving the saffron threads.
Drizzle in the olive oil and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment. You may need up to 1/4 cup of additional water to achieve the right consistency. If the dough looks crumbly like this, it is too dry.
Add the remaining water 1 tbsp. at a time until you have a very soft, smooth dough, like this.
Hint– If you need to add the additional water, pour it over the strained saffron threads so you get more of the coloring.
Use a spatula to gather the dough into a ball, then cover and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
When you’re ready, flour a cutting board and divide the dough into 4 pieces. Working with one section at a time, roll the dough into a thin rope, about 1/2″ wide. Use a bench knife or butter knife to cut the rope into 1/2″ pieces, (this is a small pasta, don’t make the pieces too large). Working quickly, roll each piece between floured palms to form small marbles.

Now roll each piece over the Malloreddus paddle, you can use your fingers or a bench knife. Be sure to keep the paddle generously floured as you work. A flour shaker is convenient to have on hand.
Arrange the pasta on a lightly floured baking pan in a single layer. I lined mine with wax paper. At this point, you can cover the pasta with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you are ready to start cooking.
For longer term storage, place the pan in the freezer for a few hours, then transfer the pasta to a freezer safe bag.
When your sauce is ready, heat a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and set a timer for 3 minutes maximum. Be careful not to overcook, as soon as the pasta floats to the top, it’s done! Use a spider strainer to gently lift it out of the water, drain and place it directly into the sauce. Finish with grated cheese and fresh Italian parsley.


I see you ogling that sauce! 😉 It’s a hearty Sausage Ragu, perfect for ridged pasta like this one. Want to know more? Be sure to check out the next recipe!
Notes ♪♫ Some of my readers have mentioned that they would like a gluten free pasta made without eggs. This one is for you, friends. The dough is every bit as soft and supple as egg pasta, so whether you can’t have eggs for dietary reasons, pricing or availability, this pasta is one you must try!



Ingredients:
Mist a muffin tin with cooking spray.
Bake for 15 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick, and if it comes out dry, they are done.
Brush the tops with melted butter, then transfer to a rack to cool.
Muffins can be stored at room temperature for one day, and any leftover after that can be frozen.
Yes, they are gluten free!
You are going to love this recipe!
This recipe is another of my experiments with blending these 2 flours together. I really think I have hit on the perfect flavor and texture of Italian Bread that I was looking for. You can use all bread flour if preferred.
Ingredients:
No stand mixer? You can combine everything in a large bowl with a
Now cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter (room temperature) overnight for 12-13 hours. I like to make my dough around 8pm, then shape the rolls while I’m having coffee the next morning, around 9am.
In the morning, preheat the oven to 475º with a 
Flour your work surface and gently roll each section into a torpedo shape (oval with tapered ends). Arrange them on a lightly floured baking sheet lined with parchment or use a 
Place in the oven and spray the rolls and sides of the oven with water to create steam. Bake for 35 minutes at 475º, then remove from the pan and bake directly on the stone during the last 10 minutes.
Rolls are done baking when the internal temperature reaches 210º. The crust should be firm and dry, and you will get that hollow sound when you give the rolls a sharp tap. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
What would you do with a homemade, hot out of the oven Italian roll like this? Dip it in olive oil, or slather with garlic butter and toast it? Slice it thin for bruschetta? Maybe load it up with veggies, cold cuts and cheese to make a panino (a/k/a sub, hoagie)! And for big appetites, you can serve them as dinner rolls (mop up that sauce!) or sandwich rolls.
However you choose to enjoy them, these rolls are delicious!




Whisk together the dry ingredients (sorghum flour through salt).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with the paddle attachment for 8 minutes to form a thick batter.









Preparation:



Check out the crumb, it came out so delicious and moist. Every bit the traditional zucchini bread, and you don’t really taste the sourdough.
Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for a day. Beyond that, I recommend you wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and freeze (store in a freezer safe bag).
The recipe makes a small batch, breakfast for two. I ended up with 5 full size pancakes and one mini pancake. You can double or triple the recipe for a large family, or if you want extra to freeze for later.
Preparation:
Set up 2 bowls, whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl (I strongly recommend that you weigh the flour), and the wet ingredients in the other. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together, just until moistened.
Melt butter 1 tbsp. at a time on the griddle. Scoop batter by 1/3 cups and add to the griddle, leaving space in between.
Cook for 5 minutes then flip. Cook 3-5 more minutes. Keep in mind that gluten free pancakes take longer to cook than regular pancakes. Check if they are done by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out dry, they are ready.
If you have a little batter left over at the end, you can make a test pancake, here’s mine. Just one bite!
You can serve the pancakes immediately or freeze for later. I let mine cool completely on a rack, then wrapped them separately and stored in freezer safe bags.








Read on
Preparation:
Next, working with one bowl at a time, add one egg to the bowl of a
Hint: make the white dough first, so that you don’t have to wash the chopper in between batches.
Lightly flour a large cutting board. Working with one color dough at a time, divide the ball in half and roll each section into a rope. Be patient, if it doesn’t roll easily dust with a little flour and gently press down with your palms as you roll the dough back and forth.
Roll each piece of dough between your palms then use your hand or a bench knife to roll it over a floured gnocchi board to create the ridges.
Place the finished pasta in a single layer on a floured baking sheet. I lined mine with wax paper.
You can keep the pasta in the refrigerator if cooking the same day. Beyond that I recommend freezing it in an airtight container or freezer safe bag. I placed mine in the freezer right on the baking sheet and when they were firmed up, I transferred them to a
Making the pasta was a little time consuming, but I did it on a Sunday and froze it to have during the week. Freezing did not affect the texture at all, and the pasta cooked perfectly to al dente.
If you miss boxed mixes like Rice-a-Roni® on the gluten free diet, step into the kitchen with me, and I’ll show you how I made this gluten free copycat version, all fancied up with a little bit of veggies and slivered almonds. Only one ingredient swap was needed to make this recipe gluten free. In place of the vermicelli, I used these thin rice noodles from Thai Kitchen.
Preparation:




Notes ♪♫













How nice that these rolls do not 