Sardinian food is unique and delicious. As you surely know, food in Italy is very regional, which means that what you’ll eat in Sardinia can’t really be found in the rest of the country, so make sure to gorge on it during your trip to Sardinia as that will be your only chance!
What’s interesting about food here is that although Sardinia is an island, most of the traditional food in Sardinia is based on meat products – with a strong focus on pork and lamb dishes, and some of the best pecorino cheese you’ll ever taste.
This is because traditional activities in Sardinia include sheep farming, and food usually reflects the culture of a place and its people, its history and even the dominations that affected it.
You can rest assured that Sardinian food is full of flavor – and at times plain weird (and there are dishes I don’t dare to eat). But I promise you won’t leave disappointed and Sardinia will live up to its reputation of being an incredibly welcoming place.
This post explains you what Sardinian food you really should eat and highlight some unique ingredients. Let me however start by sharing some tips on how to make the most of Sardinian food.
Table of Contents
Must Try Sardinian Food
Bread
There is bread, and then there is Sardinian bread. We have so many varieties of bread here that there even is a dedicated section at the Ethnographic Museum in Nuoro, in the center of Sardinia.
Bread in Sardinia is made using “su framentu” – natural yeast. Some of it is made for special occasions – such as the most intricate coccoi in the picture above.
Pani carasau
This thin, incredibly crispy bred is probably the most well known Sardinian bread outside of the island, as it is even found in the supermarkets. It’s regularly served with meals in traditional restaurants, including for a basic apertit, and it makes for a wonderful snack (way better than potato chips!).
Yet, the best kind is that produced by local bakeries in the region of Barbagia – it has a more wholesome flavor. If you add olive oil and salt to it, you can make “pani guttiau” – but I warn you, it is highly addictive.
Pani cifraxiu
Like pani carasau, this bread is baked in a wood oven. It is a daily bread and regularly found in bakeries. The best one is that from Sanluri, a small town in the region of Medio Campidano, but my personal favorite is from Villaputzu.
It’s the perfect kind of bread to prepare bruschetta. The bread is traditionally made to last several days so it is perfect to be toasted. It has a thick crust and a moist and very dense pulp.
Coccoi
Another local bread baked in the traditional wood oven, it is eaten less frequently than the two other kinds. It has a thick and somewhat dry pulp and a thick, crispy crust which make it perfect for spreading things on it. Some kinds are very elaborate. It can last several days.
Cheese
Sardinian cheese is famous throughout Italy and the world. The production of Sardinian pecorino is actually a very important element of the local economy, and a cause of concern when the price of milk keeps decreasing. Below are some kinds of cheese you may want to try during your trip to Sardinia.
Pecorino Sardo
There are about a million kinds of Pecorino cheese in Sardinia – from semi-fresh to hard. If you like a full flavor, peppery kind of cheese, go for the hard one (stagionato). If on the other hand you want something a bit milder, opt for a medium aged pecorino.
Fiore Sardo
A pecorino cheese that is typical of Gavoi, a small town in the center of Sardinia. It is very salty and peppery, and it is perfect as an aperitif accompanied by traditional bread and a glass of good Sardinian cannonau wine.
Casu Marzu
I can’t really comment about Casu Marzu (literally “rotten cheese”), as I have always refused to try it, but some Israeli friends who did said it is delicious, and it is such a unique Sardinian food that I ought to mention it.
This pecorino cheese is laid outside, holes are dug in it and flies go in to lay their eggs. The larvae open and feed on the cheese, and give it a creamy texture.
You won’t find it easily as not many produce it, so you will have to ask around. And if it were asdangerous as they say, Sardinia would be even less populated.
If you want to try a more “hygienic” version of casu marzu you can opt for the crema di pecorino that is commonly found in grocery stores. It’s perfect to spread on bread.
Pasta and soups
Sardinia has its own kinds of pasta, so don’t expect anything similar to what you’d have in Italy.
We have our own pasta shapes, our own recipes, our own fillings.
Traditional Sardinian pasta dishes require hours of preparations and technique you’ll learn with a lot of experience, so they aren’t exactly every day dishes. You will find them at the best restaurants, which use quality ingredients.
These are some pasta dishes you should try in Sardinia.
Malloreddus alla Campidanese
Referred to as “gnocchetti sardi” outside of Sardinia, malloreddus are a small pasta that tends to be chewy, with a strong bite and virtually impossible to overcook.
They are traditionally served with a “campidanese” sauce (from Campidano, the plain of Sardinia). This is prepared by cooking together pork sausage, tomatoes and saffron. They are served with pecorino cheese.
Fregola con le arselle
To give you a proper understanding of what fregola is, just picture a cous cous whose pearls are much larger.
This is a very famous Sardinian dish typical of Cagliari. It is prepared with semolina, water and salt mixed together and then rubbed between the fingers to get a rounded, rough shape.
The best way to eat it is with a brothy sauce made with clams (arselle), tomatoes, parsley, a tiny amount of garlic and a hint of chillies. It takes quite a while to cook, so don’t be surprised if you wait for more than 20 minutes for your dish.
You know it is good when you have to eat it with a spoon.
Most restaurants nowadays serve variations of the traditional fregola con le arselle recipe. My favorite in Cagliari is the mixed seafood fregola served at Bistrot 100.
Culurgionis
You can’t leave Sardinia without having tried culurgionis. The concept is similar to that of ravioli: so it is a filled pasta. But the shape and the flavor are completely different.
Typical Sardinian food of the region of Ogliastra, the basic recipe calls for a filling of potatoes, mint, garlic and cheese; but each village makes them slightly differently, using a different kind of cheese or different proportions.
I keep saying the best culurgionis are those from Seui,which are made with a cheese called “cas’e fitta” that is kept in water and salt. They are served boiled with abundant pecorino cheese (no oil) or with a plain tomato sauce.
You won’t easily find good culurgiones, although they are often on the menu. The best ones are either homemade or eaten at well known agriturisimi.
The good news is that many restaurants in Cagliari are now focusing on this traditional Sardinian food, though in a more modern version, so you may have better luck there.
Some are even venturing with innovative versions that include a seafood bisque and a sauce made with burrata, such as the ones you can find at Le Segrete, one of the best restaurants in Cagliari.
Zuppa gallurese
I am not sure why this dish is referred to as a soup, when it really isn’t a soup at all – in fact, it is very thick!
This dish is typical of Gallura, in the north of Sardinia, where it is called “suppa cuata.” It is made using stale bread which is soaked in sheep broth and layered with pecorino cheese, mint and parsley.
The mixture is then baked in the oven until the cheese melt and it is served hot. A lighter version is prepared using a beef broth.
Su Filindeu
This is Italy’s rarest pasta, and a very few women in Sardinia now master the art of making su filindeu – one of them is Paola Abraini, who occasionally holds filindeu workshops in Nuoro without ever spilling the full secret of how to make this pasta.
The basic recipe calls for water, flour and salt – in unknown proportions – to prepare a very flexible dough that is pulled 7 times to create 256 thin strands of pasta that has to be laid down to dry. The pasta is cooked in a thin sheep broth and served as a soup, accompanied by pecorino cheese.
If you want to learn the secrets of Su Filindeu, chef Marina Ravarotto – owner of Chiaroscuro restaurant (a Bib Gourmand Michelin Restaurant in Cagliari) makes an excellent filindeu and occasionally runs classes to teach you at least the basics.
Spaghetti ai ricci
Though spaghetti isn’t exactly a typical Sardinian pasta, we love this dish so much that I ought to mention it in this post. This is a more modern dish which is prepared by using sea urchins pulp.
Once cooked, the spaghetti are drained and thrown in a pan with olive oil, garlic, parsley and chillies and adding the sea urchin at the last minute.
Keep in mind that there are strict regulations with regards to the fishing of sea urchins, so these can’t always be found.
Meat and fish dishes
Sardinian cuisine has an abundance of meat and fish dishes. Some of them are actually plain but require hours of preparations, so you need to call the restaurant ahead of time to let them know you want to try them.
Porceddu
This is the most well known Sardinian food, prepared strictly using a milk piglet born and raised in Sardinia. The animal is split in two and slowly roasted over the fire until the meat is tender and moist and the skin crispy. For best results, lard and mirto leaves are rubbed on the skin.
It takes an average of 4 hours to roast a porceddu, so this isn’t the kind of dish you can expect to have at a random restaurant. You will find the best at an agriturismo or alternatively at some local home (work on your friendships here, guys!).
Pecora in cappotto
The meaning of this dish, which is typical of Barbagia, a mountainous region of central Sardinia, means “sheep in a coat.”
It’s a stew prepared using carrots, potatoes, herbs such as parsley and bay leaves, onions, celery and sun-dried tomatoes, in which you throw the sheep meat.
Locals and tourists alike swear by it. I am not a fan. Try it if you are a more adventurous eater than I am! Your best bet to have it is at a local agriturismo in the Barbagia region – think Fonni or Aritzo. Upon booking, you should enquire whether it is on the menu.
Agnello coi carciofi
Among the best Sardinian food there is the agnello coi carciofi. The recipe calls for lamb stewed with artichokes until both become incredibly tender and moist.
The flavor is very delicate, as lamb used here in Sardinia has a very sweet flavor. Eat it with abundant amounts of bread – it’s a perfect dish for “scarpetta!”
This is a very seasonal dish. Artichokes are only found in the winter months, and that’s when we eat lamb here. Don’t expect to find this dish on the menu if you visit Sardinia in the summer!
Sa Cordula and Sa Trattalìa
Made of internal organs of either goat or lamb which are kept together by thin guts and cooked over the fire on a spit, slowly until the guts become golden and crispy, this is a real local delicacy. Some versions are more like a stew with peas and vegetables.
It’s hard to find this dish served at restaurants – you may have better luck at an agriturismo or if you can find a shepherd that runs cooking classes.
Spigola alla vernaccia
Spigola alla vernaccia is one of my favorite Sardinian seafood dishes. It is made with seabass (spigola or branzino in Italian) passed in flour, covered in vernaccia wine and to which black olives are added.
It’s cooked in the oven until the wine thickens to become a delicious sauce to accompany the fish.
You will find it in good seafood trattorie in the Marina District of Cagliari. Try La Stella Marina di Montecristo in Via Sardegna – if you don’t see it on the menu, ask for it to be especially made for you!
Burrida a sa casteddaia
Burrida a sa casteddaia is a traditional dish of Cagliari – Casteddu is the Sardinian name of the capital city.
This is a dish of dogfish cooked in vinegar and walnuts that has to “rest” in the fridge for a day before being served. It’s on the heavy side but honestly delicious and never missing on special occasions.
You will find it at the best restaurants in the Marina District of Cagliari.
Cassola
A delicious soup of mussels, clams and octopus cooked in vermentino wine with olive oil, garlic, onion, parsley and chilli peppers. The sauce is perfect to dip bread.
Aragosta alla catalana
Typical of Alghero, where Catalan is the main language, the boiled lobster is served with thin slices of tomatoes and onions. It appears to be incredibly simple, but it takes years to master the art of this dish!
Orziadas
One of my favorite fish dishes in Sardinia! Anemones are passed in flour and semolina and deep fried. They are not very easy to find unfortunately – I have not seen it on the menu in a restaurant in a long time.
Fish a la Scabecciu
A dish typical of Cagliari (you may find it in the trattorie of the Marina District), it is made of fried fish marinated in oil, vinegar, salt, garlic and parsley. Some also add capers and chopped tomatoes. It’s not exactly light, but perfect if served with good cifraxiu bread.
Set dishes
These dishes are proper meals!
Pani frattau
Pani frattau is one of the staples of Sardinian food. It is a dish that was traditionally made to use the broken up pieces of pane carasau.
The bread is soaked in broth (preferably sheep) and layered with a poached egg and a sauce made with onions, tomatoes and basil. It’s topped with grated pecorino cheese. It’s full of flavor.
If you want to try pani frattau, you an visit the Panefratteria of Cagliari which makes various versions of this dish. You can also try it at the more refined Chiaroscuro di Marina Ravarotto.
Panada
This Sardinian food will remind you of the empanadas you can find in South America – the concept is the same.
Originally from Assemini, a small town not far from Cagliari, you can find variations of panada all over Sardinia and it’s the kind of dish for which every family has its own version.
A dough made with flour, lard, water and salt is laid on a tray and stuffed with a mixture of potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, garlic, olive oil and either lamb or eel. It’s baked in the oven until the dough becomes golden and crispy and the filling is moist and bursting with flavor.
More and more restaurants are now offering this dish which for a long time was not on the menu. It’s also common to have as an aperitivo dinner in Cagliari. Sa Panada in via Barcellona in Cagliari offers various versions, including a vegan one.
Su Mazzamurru
We refer to Su Mazzamurru as a bread and tomato lasagne, but if you are expecting a dish that is anywhere similar to the traditional lasagne of Bologna, you will be disappointed.
The recipe for this dish is incredibly easy: soak stale bread with either beef or vegetable broth, pour over it an a freshly prepared tomato sauce and then sprinkle with grated pecorino cheese, and grill it in the oven.
It is the perfect dish to make if you have leftover tomato sauce and good (stale) Sardinian bread, and it is particularly comforting in the winter.
Prazzida / Mustazzeddu
Su Mustazzeddu is one of the most comforting dishes of Southern Sardinia.
Also known as prazzira or pani cun tammatta or even pani cun tamatiga (literally “bread and tomatoes”), it is typical of the Sulcis region of Sardinia (my friend from Sant’Antioco grew up eating it), as well as of the area of San Vito, in the Sarrabus region.
The name of the dish varies depending on where it is made, but the main ingredients and preparation remain the same.
The basic recipe calls for a dough made of durum wheat semolina, white flour and natural yeast, and a filling made of tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Some people add other vegetables too – a favorite of mine is eggplant, which is however only found in the summer.
You can find this dish as an aperitivo in some places in the Sulcis region, but honestly the best mustazzeddu is homemade!
Sweets
Sardinian sweets are usually prepared using almonds or cheese. The best ones are homemade – usually by women – and require long hours of work. They can be found at traditional Sardinian bakeries or (cheaper and not as good versions) at supermarkets too.
Sebadas
The most famous Sardinian dessert outside of Sardinia is sebadas – also referred to as seadas.
It is made by filling a very thin dough with a mixture of mild cheese slightly cooked with lemon peel and sugar. It is then deep fried and served piping hot with local honey. The cheese melts and the dough becomes crispy. It is honestly addictive.
There is a sebadas place in Cagliari in the historic Stampace District, and you will literally find it as a dessert in all restaurants and pizzerie in Sardinia.
Pardule
Pardule – known in Italian as formaggelle – are the Sardinian version of cheesecake.
These sweets made with ricotta and saffron, a little sugar and a bit of flour. The dough seems very light but it is actually made with lard. They are baked until they become a deep orange color. They are soft and moist and you can’t stop at just one!
Zeppole
Many regions in southern Italy have a dessert named “zeppole” but the ones in Sardinia are completely different from the rest. These sweets are eaten strictly during the Carnival period, and that’s when you can find them literally at all local bakeries – but they must be really made to order!
There are various recipes to make zeppole. My personal favorite has a dough made with boiled potatoes and an orange liquor. While simple, they are actually quite complicated to make. They are fried (obviously) until golden and then passed in sugar. They must be eaten hot!
Pabassinas and Pan’e Saba
Pabassa is Sardinian for raisins, an ingredient used in both sweets (along with eggs, flour, candied orange peel, walnuts and almonds) which are usually served on special occasions such as Christmas or Easter.
Gueffus
A favorite of children and never missing from a party, they are very sweet, made with sugar, almonds, orange flowers water and lemon peel and then wrapped in thin colored paper. They look (and taste) like almond candy.
Drinks
I will talk about Sardinian wines separately. Meantime, here are some good Sardinian liquors and spirits
Mirto
Made of myrtle berries, Mirto is thick and syrupy. You can find it in stores in Italy, but the best one is homemade. It’s the kind of drink we’d have at the end of a meal instead of limoncello.
Filu e ferru
The name means “iron thread,” and is a reference to the fact that this strong spirit had to be hidden underground and an iron thread had to be left outside for people to find it. It’s like a strong grappa.
Other interesting food in Sardinia
Bottarga
We call bottarga Sardinian caviar. It is a fish roe made by pressing together tuna or mullet eggs, which are then salted and dried.
We put it on other dishes such as pizza and pasta either grated or in thin slices.
Die hard like my parents have it sliced with olive oil and lemon, on bread. It’s full of cholesterol, but once in a while…
Bitter honey
Miele di corbezzolo is honey made with arbutus flowers which is sweet and bitter at the same time. It’s often served with sebadas – if you are not accustomed to the taste, try it before it ruins your dessert!
Pizzetta sfoglia
I have no idea why we call this snack with a word that resembles pizza, since it is nothing like it. It is made with phyllo pastry stuffed with tomato sauce, capers and an anchovy.
It becomes crispy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside. You will find it at coffee shops and supermarkets and at times in good bakeries, usually around Cagliari but also in other places in Sardinia.
We love snacking on it. Real pros like my sister have it for breakfast.
How To Find The Best Sardinian Food
Here are some additional tips that will help you make the most of food in Sardinia.
Go on a food tour or a cooking class
There is no better way than going on a food tour or – even better – attend a cooking class to learn about local food. Some tours also go to local markets to shop for food. Unfortunately not many tours are available for sale online in Sardinia, so I recommend to enquire locally for more options.
Meantime, you can consider these:
Guided Artisanal Food and Wine Tasting Experience – This food and wine tasting experience takes place in a lovely small shop in the neighborhood I grew up in – a bit outside the center of Cagliari. You wouldn’t make much of it, except it’s an extremely local neighborhood, and the shop has an excellent selection of local artisanal foods and wines!
San Benedetto Market Foodie Tour – Catch a bit of local action and taste the best local food with this tour at Cagliari’s favorite market.
Sardinia cooking class – This cooking class has a strong focus on traditional pasta dishes of Sardinia.
Culurgiones cooking class Cagliari – Culurgiones is probably my favorite traditional pasta in Sardinia, but it is hard to make. You won’t master them with a class, but it’s still worth trying!
Sardinia countryside home cooking class and meal at a farm house – Experience the best of Sardinian food with this class that takes place in a local farm.
Look for a festival
You will find delicious Sardinian food at festivals and the good news is that there is a festival of small or big proportions pretty much every week.
The best one though is Autunno in Barbagia – which takes place in the fall each weekend in a different village of the Barbagia region, from September to December.
Other options are the culurgiones festival, or the porceddu festival.
Enjoy a Sardinian aperitivo
Aperitivo is a literally a ritual in Sardinia and a chance to try some of the best Sardinian food and wines.
Our aperitivo has a strong focus on charcuterie and cheese so you can expect to try things such as dry sausage, pancetta, lard, ham and various kinds of aged and semi-aged pecorino, accompanied by local bread.
It’s best with wine – obviously Sardinian. But make sure to drink lots of water as it it oh so salty.
Search for an agriturismo
You will find the best traditional Sardinian food at an agriturismo – a rural farm where you can also rent a room and which serves food cooked using its own products. There even are some ittiturismo – where the focus will be on fish and seafood.
What to eat when
Sardinian food is quite seasonal so certain dishes won’t be found throughout the year.
Moreover, and quite importantly, certain dishes take hours to prepare so don’t expect to sit down at a restaurant, order them from the menu and have them within minutes.
For example, if you want to eat porceddu you have to find a restaurant or agriturismo that serves it and let them know in advance that you intend to order it.
Do a bit of research about Sardinia Blue Zone
That Sardinian food is better than most is proved by the fact that here in Sardinia we have one of the very few blue zones in the world. These are places where people live longer than in the rest of the world – some well beyond 100 years.
Research proves that long life expectancy in Sardinia is due to a combination of healthy diet, strong family and social bonds, daily exercise and overall happiness.
Further Readings
For more readings about Sardinia, make sure to check these posts:
- Where Is Sardinia?
- How To Make Su Mustazzeddu
- How To Make Sardinian Zeppole
- How To Make Su Mazzamurru: Sardinian Bread And Tomato Lasagne
- The 15 Best Beaches In Sardinia
- A Guide To The Things To Do In Cagliari
- What To See And Do In Alghero Sardinia
- The Best Places In Sardinia To Discover Its History, Culture And Traditions
- Hiking In Sardinia – 14 Incredible Trails
- 11 Amazing Surfing Spots in Sardinia
- Where To Take The Nicest Pictures Of Sardinia
- Where To Find The Best Pizza In Cagliari
- Where To Stop For A Coffee In Cagliari
- A Guide To Hotels In Cagliari: Where To Stay In Sardinia’s Capital
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