Orecchiette (; singular ; ) are a

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are ...

typical of Apulia, a region of

Southern Italy Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...

. Their name comes from their shape, which resembles a small ear.

Description

An orecchietta has the shape of a small dome, with its center thinner than its edge, and with a rough surface. Like other kinds of pasta, orecchiette are made with

durum wheat Durum wheat (), also called pasta wheat or macaroni wheat (''Triticum durum'' or ''Triticum turgidum'' subsp. ''durum''), is a tetraploid species of wheat. It is the second most cultivated species of wheat after common wheat, although it represen ...

and

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

. Eggs are rarely used. In traditional Southern Italian home cooking, the dough is rolled, then cut into cubes. Each cube is pressed with a knife, dragging it on the board and making it curl (making a '' cavatello''). The shape is then inverted over the thumb.

Names and variations

In the vernacular of Taranto they are called , or . In

Cisternino Cisternino is a ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi in Apulia, on the coast of south-eastern Italy, approximately north-west of the city of Brindisi. Its main economic activities are tourism, the growing of olives and grapes, and dairy farmin ...

''orecchiette'' are made with

; they are larger and take on a different shape, with deep internal ribs, very similar to an ear. They are defined — that is, "priest's ears". The typical dish of holidays is orecchiette with rabbit ragout. ''

Cavatelli Cavatelli ( , also , ; literally "little hollows") are small pasta shells made from semolina or other flour dough, that resemble miniature hot dog buns, commonly cooked with garlic and broccoli or broccoli rabe, or simply with tomato sauce ...

'', ''strascinati'' (, in the vernacular of Bari) and ''

cencioni Cencioni is a type of pasta. The name derives from the Italian for ''little rag''. Cencioni are oval and petal-shaped, with a slight curve, larger and flatter than orecchiette, with a more irregular shape and a rough texture to one side to he ...

'' are made like orecchiette, without the final step of forming a concave shape. Strascinati and cencioni are typically larger than orecchiette. In China, a similar type of pasta is called (''māo ěr duǒ'', literally, "cat's ears").

Dishes

Orecchiette are typically served with a meat such as pork, capers and a crisp white wine. The traditional dish from Apulia is ''orecchiette alle cime di rapa'', a dish of orecchiette and

rapini Rapini or broccoli rabe () is a green cruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble broccoli, but do not form a large head. Rapini is known for its bitter taste, and is particularly associ ...

, also called turnip tops.

Broccoli Broccoli (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''italica'') is an edible green plant in the cabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genus ''Brassica'') whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is clas ...

cauliflower Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species '' Brassica oleracea'' in the genus ''Brassica'', which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head is eaten – t ...

are also widely used as an alternative. Particularly around Capitanata and

Salento Salento ( Salentino: ''Salentu'', Salentino Griko: ''Σαλέντο'') is a cultural, historical and geographic region at the southern end of the administrative region of Apulia in Southern Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the Italian Peninsul ...

, orecchiette are traditionally also dressed with tomato sauce (), sometimes with miniature

meatballs A meatball is ground meat rolled into a ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, minced onion, eggs, butter, and seasoning. Meatballs are cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. There are many types ...

or a sprinkling of ''

ricotta Ricotta ( in Italian) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after t ...

'' or '' ricotta forte''. The Italian cookbook '' Il cucchiaio d'argento'' (with an English translation ''The Silver Spoon'') suggests that orecchiette are ideal for vegetable sauces.

References

Sources

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External links