When you are looking for a fresh pasta recipe, but something easy and also vegan, you should totally go for this orecchiette pasta recipe. Orecchiette is a traditional pasta from the Puglia region and its name comes from the Italian word “ear”, because the pasta’s shape resemble small cute ears: orecchiette.
The difference between this pasta and the one made in the North of Italy, like tagliatelle, ravioli, tortellini, is the absence of eggs and a different type of flour. For this recipe, but also for many other southern pasta’s recipes, you need durum wheat flour, or fine semolina flour, look for an Italian brand that has written “semola di grano duro rimacinata” on the package.
Orecchiette Ingredients
- Durum Wheat Flour, or Fine Semolina Flour (Semola di Grano Duro Rimacinata)
- Water
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Orecchiette Recipes
Cuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings1
hour30
minutesIngredients
500g Durum Wheat Flour, or Fine Semolina Flour (Semola di Grano Duro Rimacinata) + extra for dusting
220g-250g Lukewarm Water
Directions
- Make the dough. Pile the semolina flour on a clean surface and make a well in the middle (fontana). Add lukewarm water inside the well and start mixing it with your fingers. Keep kneading until you get to a smooth dough. This will take about 10 minutes. To understand if the dough is ready, do the finger test: press the top of the dough with your finger, if the dough keeps the finger’s shape on it it’s ready (check the video to make sure).
- Resting Time. Cover the orecchiette dough with a tea towel and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
- Make the rope. After 10 minutes, cut a piece of dough, and keep the rest always covered with the tea towel (this will prevent the dough to dry out). Always kneed the piece of dough a bit before start shaping it. Roll it to a long rope as thick as your pinkie.
- Shape your orecchiette. Keep your surface well dusted with flour and cut the rope into small little pillows (about 1cm each). Use a knife to shape the orecchiette pressing it a bit on top of the pillow and pulling the knife towards you while you stick your thumb into the middle of the pillow. Now you get a sort of disk that you will turn upside down on your thumb (check the end of the video to see how I do it).
- Spread the orecchiette over a well floured baking sheet. Once you are ready you can boil them the same you do when you make pasta, in this case for about 5 minutes. Always taste it after 3 minutes to feel how they are doing and decide if the pasta needs a few more minutes to boil or if it’s ready. Remember you want to keep it al dente.
Recipe Video
Can you freeze orecchiette?
Yes! You can also dry orecchiette, but I prefer to freeze them. The best way to freeze orecchiette is to spread them out over a baking dish covered with parchment paper and lightly sprinkled with semolina flour. Place the baking dish in the freezer overnight and move the orecchiette into sealed freezer bags only after they are completely frozen. This step prevents orecchiette to stick together.
Which Sauces are the best for orecchiette?
I love orecchiette with broccoli and anchovies, but also a simple tomato sauce will be a great choice. I would not recommend to season orecchiette pasta with cream or butter.
Other Pasta Recipes you may like
- Potato Gnocchi Recipe
- Pasta with Potatoes – a Taste of Italian Tradition
- Pumpkin Gnocchi with Butter and Sage
I’m wondering about the olive oil in the ingredients. It isn’t mentioned in the process at all. Is it in the dough?
Hi Lee, you are right! there was a mistake in the ingredients’ list. Thank you 🙂