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Orecchiette on a wood board

Orecchiette

Indulge in the authentic taste of Italy with homemade orecchiette pasta, made using only simple ingredients and traditional techniques.
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Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 24 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan
Keyword: Handmade pasta, Homemade Pasta, Orecchiette, Regional dish
Difficulty: Moderate
Servings: 4
Calories: 254kcal

Equipment

  • 1 wooden board
  • 1 knife sharp

Ingredients

Instructions

  • STEP 1: Make the dough
    Gather all necessary ingredients for the recipe. Mix the flour with salt and form a volcano. Place the water in the middle of the volcano. Helping yourself with a fork start incorporating the flour with the water until you have a paste that you can start working with you hands.
  • STEP 2: Knead & Rest
    Spread some flour on the work surface and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and it is elastic. You will know it is ready when you impress a thumb in the dough and dough bounce back immediately.  Let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with a tea towel (see notes).
  • STEP 3: Roll & Cut
    Now, take the dough and with the knife divide in 4 equal part. Take a quarter and start rolling it out into a long thin rope about 1/2 inch in diameter.
  • STEP 4: Shape the Orecchiette
    Cut the rope into small pieces about 1/4 inch long. Take each piece and make a ball just by molding it with your hands. Using your knife (or thumb or index finger) press down on each piece of dough and drag it towards you. It will curl up on itself then you turn it inside out over your finger.
  • STEP 5: Finish making the orecchiette
    Repeat this process with each piece of dough until you have enough orecchiette for your desired serving size.
  • STEP 6: Cooking Homemade Orecchiette
    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the orecchiette and cook for 7-9 minutes, until they float to the surface. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water — it’s liquid gold for finishing sauces.

Notes

The resting period allows the flour to continue to hydrate, and the gluten network to relax. If you skip this step it will be an epic disaster: your dough will be too elastic AND WILL NOT KEEP THE SHAPE!

Nutrition

Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 323mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 3mg
Have you tried to make it?Mention @Italian_Kitchen_Confessions or tag #Italian_Kitchen_Confessions!