Sassari typical dishes: favata, snails and zimino
The favàta, the snails and the zimino are the most traditional dishes of the Sassari cuisine, rich in aromas that confer a strong taste. Even if the “fainé” is not a specialty of the territory, but a typical focaccia of Liguria, we have insert it in the gastronomy of this region.
Malloreddus: gnochetti (dumplings) of semolina (hard seed corn), generally handmade. This is one of the typical Sardinian “primi piatti” (first dishes). Usually served with tomato sauce and grated cheese (Fiore Sardo, Pecorino Sardo o Pecorino Romano), in the Sassarese-Romangia are flavored with roasted fresh sausage, chopped onion and basil.
Culurgiones: the Sardinian ravioli, called culingionis in other zones of Sardegna, are prepared with a dough of seed corn or flour, eggs, salt and olive oil and a filling of soft cheese or ricotta, chard or spinach, eggs, butter and saffron. All dressed in tomato sauce and grated Sardinian cheese. Very tasty is also the variation filled with potatoes, lard, fresh mint, onion and garlic chops.
Minestra di ceci e finocchi (chickpeas & fennel soup): leave chickpeas in salted water for a whole day, then peel and cook them adding pieces of fennel (preferably wild varieties), salt and add a chopped onion, fried in olive oil. Some people add pastina ( tiny type of pasta ) and fresh tomato pulp.
Favata: broad bean soup, (left in bain-marie for at least one day), lard and pork's meat in pieces, cabbage, wild fennel, sun-dried-tomatoes, and chopped onion, garlic, carrot and fennel. It is better tasted lukewarm. The favata should be possibly served on a soup plate with slices of toasted bread on the bottom.
Giogga minuda: the people from Sassari love snails, regardless of their size. The giogga minuda is a little snail of light color. Before being cooked, it has to be let purge for a couple of days on a cloth with bread soaked in water. Subsequently, it has to be immerse in water, vinegar and salt, then accurately washed and boiled in aromatic water flavored with some cloves of garlic. Some people flavor it with a hint of red chili pepper.
Monzette: this is another culinary specialty made with snails. The monzette are big and brown, their cavity is covered by a thin layer of a white substance similar to the veil of a nun. They can be prepared in two ways: grilled (on the flame, covered in salt) or in a pan. In order to prepare this recipe, the snails have to be purge and washed accurately (look at Giogga minuda), then boiled in salted water. Their shells have to be taken off, and one by one, they have to be breaded with a paste made of eggs, thin semolina and salt. A the end, deep fry them in olive oil.
Zimìno: the intestine of the veal, preferably washed in water and vinegar, braced to the grill, cut in pieces, salted and sprinkled of pepper powder. The zimìno has to be eaten warm.
Còrdula: lamb intestine, carefully washed in both internal and interior side, it is then left in water and vinegar. Once dried, it is tied with a string and it is put on grill under the flame. It is one of the most appreciated dish of Sassarese-Romangia, but also of other Sardinia zones.
Fainé: is an original dish from Liguria, but it is also particularly diffused and appreciated in the Sassarese. It is a kind of thin focaccia bread made with chickpeas' flour, water and salt. After baking, the fainé is usually flavored with sprinkle of pepper powder.
