Malloreddus alla Campidanese

Instructions

1. 1
   To get the ragu started, remove the casings from the fresh sausages and crumble the meat into small pieces using your hands.
2. 2
   Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a deep pot or skillet over medium heat and add the finely chopped onion, letting it sweat until translucent.
3. 3
   Turn up the heat a bit, add the crumbled sausage meat, and sauté well for a few minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it changes color and starts to brown slightly.
4. 4
   Pour the tomato purée into the pot, season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to your taste, and reduce the heat to low.
5. 5
   Cover the pot and let the ragu simmer gently for about thirty to forty minutes so it thickens nicely and all the juices concentrate.
6. 6
   About five minutes before turning off the heat, stir in the saffron threads dissolved in a tablespoon of warm water, mixing thoroughly to infuse the sauce.
7. 7
   While the ragu finishes up, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the malloreddus according to the package directions so they stay perfectly al dente.
8. 8
   Drain the pasta, making sure to reserve a ladle of the starchy cooking water just in case you need it.
9. 9
   Toss the malloreddus directly into the pot with the hot ragu, stirring everything with energy over low heat for a minute so the pasta absorbs the flavors. Add a splash of the cooking water if it looks too dry.
10. 10
    Turn off the heat, stir in a generous handful of finely grated pecorino sardo cheese, and mix well to create a creamy coating.
11. 11
    Serve immediately in warm shallow bowls topped with an extra dusting of pecorino cheese and garnish with the fresh basil leaves.