Orecchiette and turnip greens, a winning combination that never tires. It is certainly the most cited dish by those who have to imagine a culinary symbol coming from Puglia, where they still come from made mainly by handbut this pasta shape also lends itself to accommodating many other condiments. Of fish, vegetables but not only, for always new dishes.

How to make orecchiette

Making orecchiette is not complicated but it definitely requires skill and practice. If you know some Apulian pasta makers, take advantage of them: gestures are very precious knowledge. At the recipe We’ll take care of the orecchiette: for 4 people you need 300 g of re-milled durum wheat semolina, 150 g of water and salt to taste. Pour the flour on the pastry board and make a well, add salt and warm water, little at a time, just enough to obtain a smooth and firm dough. You do with the pasta some cords with a diameter of approximately 1 cm; cut them into equally long pieces, roll them on a pastry board «drag themusing the blunt part of a knife flat (in Puglia the traditional sfèrre is used), then turn them over on your thumb to obtain the orecchiette. Spread out the orecchiette on a floured surface and leave them to dry until ready to cook them.

Why are they called orecchiette?

It’s exactly as you might think: the orecchiette are called this because their rounded and concave shape and the wrinkled surface, designed to better retain the sauces, it is very reminiscent of the shape of an ear. Anyone from Puglia knows this: they are produced in different sizes: small, very small, medium and larger, everything depends on the manual skills of the individual housewife.

Orecchiette, turnip tops and more: 10 sauces to season them

From the orecchiette with turnip tops and ginger, for a fresh and exotic touch, to the Trapani pesto, passing through the cherry tomatoes, mussels, peas and croaker. Get ready to experiment.