Homemade Orecchiette

Orecchiette: an ear-shaped pasta that is fun to make!

They are a specialty of Puglia, where the "little ears" are always handmade. The dough is eggless; made with just semolina flour, salt and water.

Cooking time: 5 mins

Prep time: 40 mins

Ingredients for 4 people

What do you need?

• 400 gr of durum wheat flour or semolina

• 200 gr of water

• salt

How to proceed?

1. Add the flour and salt to a deep bowl.

2. Pour in the water, and stir with a fork to bring the mixture together into a dough.

3. Gently knead the dough few times until it becomes a smooth ball.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes.

5. Unwrap the dough, and cut off a 2 cm thick piece.

6. Roll the piece of dough into a 1 cm thick rope.

7. Cut off the rope into 1 cm thick coins.

8. Arrange the pieces of the dough cut side up.

9. Place the tip of a round edge knife at the edge of the dough, and pull towards you.

10. Use the tip of your forefinger to shape the pasta into an orecchiette, which literally translate into “little ear.

11. Transfer the formed orecchiette to a rimmed sheet or plate and sprinkled with semolina flour.

12. Continue until all the dough is finished.

Your homemade orecchiette are ready to be cooked in boiling water. You can serve them with :

• A simple tomato sauce

• A bolognese sauce

• Brocoli rabe