In Sardinia we have more sheep than people. Like dots, they are almost everywhere on our landscapes.
Their presence is a part of our culture and everyday life, aboveall in small towns. In the past this bond was even tighter. Sheep provided milk and meat and a coarse wool for clothes, blankets and rugs. Together with the other domestic animals they played a big role in the subsistence economy of families. Nowday life is definitively easier but Sardinia is still a a region where sheep are queens of the countryside.
In spring their milking season begins and it’s easy to find fresh soft ricotta, a sort of creamy cheese produced by local farmers. Traditional recipes follow the season and approaching Easter time ravioli, pasta filled with ricotta, appear on the table.
In Gallura, the local name for the north eastern part of the island, the ravioli are sweetened in a very delicate way, softly enhancing the taste of the filling. I prepare ravioli with my Granny’s recipe and I remember that she always prepared a big one, called “maccu”, crazy, for the master of the house. A treat for her life-companion in their matriarchal family.
Sardinia Island 