Semolina & Saffron Pasta Dough

You can use this dough to make any type of pasta, in the same way that you would do with a normal semolina dough.  The saffron gives the dough an intense yellow colour and a kind of light, sweet aroma.

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Saffron is one of the most precious spices in the world and it's naturally grown in Sardinia. This recipe is a  Sardinian speciality and it's often use to make gnocchetti Sardi or malloreddus and culurgiones. 

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 200g of durum wheat semolina + extra 
• 100ml of warm water 
• A pinch of fresh saffron's threads

Method

1. To start add the saffron to the warm water and give it a stir. Add the semolina into a bowl and slowly add in the middle the saffron water and stir with a fork.
2. Transfer the mixture onto your worktable and using both hands knead the dough, stretching it and folding it back. If the dough is a little sticky, add a pinch of semolina and knead again until it's less sticky; vice versa if the dough is too dry add one or two tsp of water in the dough and keep kneading. Remember, if you add too much semolina to the dough it will become very dry and impossible to work with, so add semolina only if you need it and if the dough is too wet to work with.
3. Knead the dough for about 8  to 10 mins. The dough is ready when is nice and smooth with a little bounce back if you poke it.  It should feel like a play dough.
4. At this point, cover the dough with cling film and let it rest for 30 mins in the fridge. Alternatively, you can leave it up to 2 days in the fridge. Once rested, it's ready for you to shape in your favourite pasta shapes!
5. Click here to watch how Chef Francesco makes traditional Gnocchetti Sardi alla Campidanese using this Semolina & Saffron pasta dough recipe. ​

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