Seafood cuisine: the top 5 of Sardinian dishes
Sardinia is famous for seafood, so here is a selection of the tastiest dishes.
As an island surrounded by one of the most beautiful seas, Sardinia is famous, in Italy and abroad, for its beaches, breathtaking views, but also for its extraordinary cuisine. Of course, Sardinian cuisine includes a lot of seafood.
We want to tell you about the five traditional Sardinian dishes that both Sardinians and visitors appreciate the most.
Frègula with seafood and saffron
Frègula, or fregola (but this is an imprecise Italianized name), is a type of semolina pasta in the shape of small balls typical of Sardinia. There are various recipes with this pasta. However, the most delicious one is with seafood: clams and prawns, saffron broth and toasted bread. Indeed, few know that Sardinia is one of the largest Italian saffron producers, called Sardinian red gold. In fact, saffron is expensive since collecting the pistils takes time and patience.
Spaghetti with sea urchins
Seafood lovers adore this dish, which should be tasted strictly from November to April, during the sea urchin season. In fact, during the rest of the year it is forbidden to fish this marine delicacy. Furthermore, each fisherman can only collect a limited amount during the season to protect this increasingly rare species.
The dish is simply extraordinary, and we recommend it in combination with a typical Sardinian wine, such as Cannonau, which emphasizes the intense taste of sea urchins.
The bottarga
This selection of dishes must include bottarga, one of the most famous and appreciated Sardinian products. The origin of this delicacy is in the small town of Cabras, on the west coast of Sardinia.
Bottarga is made from dried mullet eggs, which can be cut into thin slices and eaten as an appetizer, or ground into powder to season the pasta. We recommend it as a sauce for linguine or spaghetti.
Octopus salad
It is a great classic of Italian cuisine, and a feast of aromas.
Sardinian octopus salad is usually served as an appetizer. The main ingredient is of course the local octopus, a little smaller than the Atlantic octopus but with a more delicate flavor. The dish includes boiled potatoes, celery, lemon, garlic, parsley and extra virgin olive oil.
Catalan lobster
We close the list with a typical recipe from Alghero, an old Catalan city in the north-western part of Sardinia: the Catalan lobster. Lobster is a precious crustacean found in the sea near Alghero. After boiling, the lobster is served with fresh tomatoes and onion. We recommend tasting this dish together with a good Vermentino di Sardegna.
Sardinian cuisine in a modern way at the Osteria del Forte in Palazzo Doglio
The Osteria del Forte is inside Palazzo Doglio, the luxury hotel that opened last summer a stone’s throw from the historic center of Cagliari. The location of the restaurant has a classic and elegant style, while the exclusive external dehors integrate perfectly with the suggestive setting of Palazzo Doglio and its Court. You will find a magical atmosphere.
The restaurant menu aims to recover traditional recipes and revisit them with the creativity of modern cuisine. The dishes show the Sardinian link between land and sea through colors, aromas and textures. It is a refined and tasty cuisine, with high quality raw materials. An example are the appetizers, which mix local cheeses and cured meats with fresh fish.
Do you want to try the dishes of the great starred chefs and live a holiday full of charm and elegance? Book a stay at Palazzo Doglio in Cagliari
