Orecchiette is a small, ear-shaped pasta from the Apulia region of southern Italy, traditionally made by hand with durum wheat semolina flour. It is ideal for chunky sauces and often paired with sausage and broccoli raab. Its chewy texture comes from the lack of eggs in the recipe. Similar pasta exists in France and China.
Orecchiette literally means “little ears” in Italian. It is also a type of pasta named for its small size and ear-like shape. Once cooked, this pastry tends to be softer in the center and chewier on the inside. The texture of this pasta comes from its ingredients and design: thinner in the center and thicker around the edges.
This type of pasta is typical of Apulia, Apulia, which is a region in southern Italy. Wheat flourishes in the region, producing pasta and bread, both important parts of the local cuisine. Widely available throughout Italy, orecchiette are also gaining popularity in other countries.
While Italians may have given pasta its name, its origins could potentially have roots in the Provence region of France. Similar shaped pasta has been made there since the Middle Ages. According to some, this pasta was brought to Italy by the French dynasty known as the Anjous, around 1200 AD
In southern Italy, orecchiette are traditionally made by hand with durum wheat semolina flour, and the characteristic shape of small ear pasta is formed by pressing the thumb into cubes of pasta. While pasta can normally be made by hand, there are also several commercial manufacturers of orecchiette. There are many recipes that call for orecchiette, including multiple dishes that pair pasta with broccoli or other vegetables.
There are other types of pasta that closely resemble orecchiette. In Taranto, this pasta is called chiancarelle. Strascinato is made from the same ingredients, but lacks its characteristic dome shape. In Chinese cuisine, there is a similar noodle called Maoerduo whose name translates to “cat’s ears”.
The ingredients used in the preparation of these types of pasta include durum wheat semolina, water and salt. There are also variants that use flour in addition to durum wheat semolina. Some recipes even call for eggs and potatoes, but these ingredients aren’t traditionally used in orecchiette. The lack of eggs in the traditional recipe is what gives the pasta its chewy texture compared to pastas that contain eggs.
Traditionally, the dome shape of the pasta is ideal for containing rich or chunky sauces with meats or vegetables. Smooth or creamy sauces are the least popular choices to pair with this pasta. Sausage and broccoli raab are often used in southern Italian regional dishes that contain orecchiette. The cooking time for this pasta can take up to 20 minutes.
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