Orecchiette is a type of pasta native to Apulia, whose shape resembles a small ear. In Italian, "ear" is orecchio, so this translates as "little ears". In the Taranto area it is still called by the synonym chiancarelle. An orecchietta is about 2 cm (¾ inch) in size and looks like a small white dome with a thinner center than edge and a rough surface.
A different, non-domed version is called strascinate. Like most store-bought pasta, all versions ...
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Orecchiette is a type of pasta native to Apulia, whose shape resembles a small ear. In Italian, "ear" is orecchio, so this translates as "little ears". In the Taranto area it is still called by the synonym chiancarelle. An orecchietta is about 2 cm (¾ inch) in size and looks like a small white dome with a thinner center than edge and a rough surface.
A different, non-domed version is called strascinate. Like most store-bought pasta, all versions of orecchiette are made with only hard wheat flour, water and salt.
The typical regional recipe combines orecchiette with rapini. The classic Italian cookbook Il cucchiaio d'argento (now available in an English translation as The silver spoon, 2005, Phaidon) suggests that orecchiette are ideal for vegetable sauces.
Orecchiette probably come from the Provence region in France where a similar type of pasta has been made since Medieval times. This kind of pasta is disc-shaped with a hollowed center, usually obtained by pressing the thumb on the...
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