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1
On a large wooden board or a pastry marble or in a large bowl, place the 16 ounces of flour with the 2 teaspoons sea salt in a flat mound and form a well in the center.
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2
Have the saffroned wine and 1 cup of water at the ready.
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3
Pour the water and the saffroned wine into the well, drawing the flour from the inside wall of the mound gently into the liquids.
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4
Using your hands, continue to work the elements into a rough paste.
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5
Add more water, only drops of it at a time, should the paste seem too dry.
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6
Work the paste vigorously, distributing the saffron so that the paste is of a uniform golden color.
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7
This is a rustic, dense sort of dough, having nothing in common with the satiny texture of egg-based pasta dough.
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8
Building this dough is a bit like building mud pies, in the sense of its compactness.
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9
The goal is to end up with a dough that can be molded rather than rolled.
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10
Take an ounce or so of the dough and form it into a rope about 1/2 inch in diameter.
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11
Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch off bits of the ropeeach about the size of a dried white beanand press each bit, rocking it, really, with your thumb, over a rough surfacea tea strainer turned upside down, the tines of a fork turned upside down, or even over a straw place mat.
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12
Youll find that the dough, while taking on the imprint of the surface over which it was pressed, also rolls over on itself, forming a fat little dumpling with a hollow.
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13
One needs to practice the technique.
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14
Place the finished malloreddus on a tray lined with a kitchen towel lightly dusted with semolina.
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15
Cover the malloreddus with another kitchen towel and let them restup to 48 hoursuntil you are ready to cook them in abundant, boiling, sea-salted water until they are tender.
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16
Their cooking time is wholly dependent on how long the pasta has been left to dry.
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17
Drain the pasta, leaving it somewhat wet, tossing it with its good sauce.
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18
In a large pot over a medium flame, warm the olive oil and saute the sausage, crushing it into the oil.
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19
Soften the onion and the garlic in the oil, taking care not to let them color.
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20
Add the tomatoes, the sea salt, generous grindings of pepper, the wine, and the dissolved saffron, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer.
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21
Cook the sauce, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
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22
Off the flame, add the pecorino and the just-torn basil, stirring the sauce well, then permitting it to rest for 1 hour.
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23
Toss the cooked malloreddus with half the sauce, passing the remainder at table with more pecorino and sending round a jug of rough red wine.
