The name 'ndunderi refers to a type of handmade pasta typical of Minori, in the province of Salerno. The recipe for 'ndunderi, traditionally used for the festivities in honor of Santa Trofimena, is very old; it seems to be a variation of the "Latin balls" of Roman origin, a food made from "caseata flour" that is, spelt and curdled milk.
It was the pasta makers of Minori who modified the recipe, the same ones who, in the 1700s, crossed the Monti Lattari to move to Gragnano where they implanted the modern pasta industry.
The current recipe calls for a mixture of flour and curdled milk or ricotta cheese, grated cow's milk cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; it is to be made by hand, the dough is to be reduced into a long string, not too thin, and then cut into chunks that are to be made concave by the light pressure of a finger or two fingers, depending on the size determined. Afterwards, the chunks are slid onto the concavity of a grater, a fork, or a special ridged board called a "comb."
From historical sources it seems they were seasoned with the exquisite "moretum" a sauce made from fragrant herbs, found on the Coast, pecorino cheese primo sale and oil.
Today 'ndunderi are prepared using ricotta cheese instead of curdled milk.
