Cut the guanciale into small strips or cubes. Place it in a cold, dry frying pan and cook over medium-low heat, letting it slowly release its fat and become golden and crisp.  

Once ready, turn off the heat and set the crispy guanciale aside, keeping the rendered fat in

the pan.  

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season the water very lightly with salt.   

Meanwhile, place both egg yolks, Pecorino Romano, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Mix everything vigorously until you have a thick, smooth cream.  

If you prefer the version made with a whole egg as well, simply add it at this stage. I personally use only the yolks, which give me the rich, silky texture I love. For best results, use fresh eggs and let them come to room temperature before you begin.  

You don’t need to add any salt to the sauce – if you use good quality guanciale and Pecorino Romano, both already provide plenty of salt.

Cook the mezze maniche in the boiling water until al dente. Before draining, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water.  

Drain the pasta and immediately transfer it to the bowl with the egg and cheese mixture. Do not put the bowl over the heat. The residual heat from the pasta will gently cook the egg yolks while the starch from the pasta water helps create that characteristic silky, creamy texture.  

Toss everything together quickly and thoroughly. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water, a splash at a time, until you reach the consistency you like.  

Add the crispy guanciale and toss again.  

Serve immediately, with a little extra Pecorino Romano and freshly ground black pepper on top. 

Place the extra virgin olive oil and the peeled, lightly crushed garlic clove in a small bowl and leave it to infuse while you prepare the potatoes. 

Boil the potatoes with their skins on until tender. Peel them while they are still warm, and pass them through a potato ricer. Let them cool slightly, then add the grated Sardinian pecorino, finely chopped mint, salt, black pepper if using, and the infused olive oil, removing the garlic clove first. Mix everything until you have a firm, well-combined filling. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Before shaping the culurgiones, bring the filling back to room temperature.

Place the fine durum wheat semolina and salt in a large bowl. Gradually add the water, mixing as you go, then add the olive oil. Knead until you have a smooth but firm dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap or cover it well and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. 

Divide the dough into smaller pieces and roll them out using a pasta machine. Fold the dough several times as you work it, until it becomes smooth and elastic. Roll it out to approximately 2 mm thick.

If you don’t have a pasta machine, you can use a rolling pin (or, in an emergency, a clean glass bottle!). Keep the dough lightly dusted with semolina while you work, so that it doesn’t stick.  

Cut out circles approximately 10–11 cm in

diameter. A round pastry cutter works perfectly,

but you can also use a glass of the right size. Place about one tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle. Don’t worry if it looks like too much at first: any excess can be removed while sealing

the culurgiones and added back to the

remaining filling. 

Hold a filled circle in one hand and use the other hand to pinch together two small sections of the edge. Continue bringing small sections of dough towards the center, alternating from one side to the other and pinching as you go. 

The result should be a series of small, overlapping folds that create the characteristic “a spighetta” closure, resembling a wheat ear. 

Don’t worry if your first few don’t look perfect. The technique takes some practice, and this is exactly the kind of thing that is traditionally learned by watching someone else do it. 

Once all the culurgiones are shaped, leave them

at room temperature for about 5–10 minutes before cooking.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan and gently cook the garlic until fragrant. Add the tomato passata, season with salt, and add fresh basil

to taste. 

Let the sauce simmer gently until it has thickened slightly and the flavors have come together. 

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the culurgiones in batches for a few minutes. They’re ready when they rise to the surface and the pasta is cooked through. 

Handle them gently using a slotted spoon to lift them from the water rather than pouring

everything into a colander: this helps preserve their delicate shape.

Transfer the cooked culurgiones directly into the pan with the tomato sauce. Add a small splash of pasta water if needed and gently toss them in the sauce for a few seconds. 

Serve immediately with a generous grating of Sardinian pecorino. 

A note about the pecorino: Sardinian pecorino can be difficult to find outside Sardinia; if you can’t get it, use another aged sheep’s or goat’s cheese with plenty of flavor.  

Culurgiones are best enjoyed fresh, but they can also be frozen. Arrange the uncooked culurgiones in a single layer on a tray and freeze them until firm. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container. 

You can cook them directly from frozen in boiling salted water; they will simply need a few extra minutes compared with fresh ones.