The traditional Apulian orecchiette
Italy’s local cuisine features a lot of regional recipes that known and appreciated around the globe. One of these is the orecchiette pasta typical of the regions Puglia and Basilicata.This product is prepared to this day following the traditional recipe and it is still a staple ingredient of some traditional recipes of these areas of Italy. Here you will be able to what they are and their history. Also we will give you some of the best dishes that you can prepare with this kind of pasta that stands for Puglia and its territory all over the world.
Orecchiette pasta: what is it?
The orecchiette pasta takes its name because of its particular shape, similar indeed to small ears, and it is a type of pasta typical of the Puglia and Basilicata region. They are little white domes that are made with wheat flour, evo oil and water. Their texture is rough and the border is thicker than the central part. The particular shape of this kind of pasta is obtained by dragging the dough on the work surface. Its dimension is usually slightly inferior to that of a thumb although there are many versions that differ size-wise.
The history of the orecchiette
This dish of tradition is undoubtedly still today the symbol of Puglia everywhere in the world. But not everyone knows that it’s origin is still object of dense. In fact some theories link the orecchiette to the Provence area. Its arrival in Italy would have been the result, according to this theory, of the Angioini rule which toile over Puglia and Basilicata in the 13th century. Another theory is that this pasta format came to be in the small town of Sannicardo di Bari. Here the Jewish community developed this specific type of pasta inspired by the desserts of their tradition, the ears of Aman. But that is not all in fact there is also another theory that place the orecchiette pasta in Ancient Rome. In fact Varrone talks about a rounded pasta with a concave center very similar to orecchiette. Finally another aspect to take into consideration is that the name given to this pasta varies based on the area of origin and based on its features such as size and shape.
Orecchiette pasta: the most loved recipes
When one thinks of orecchiette pasta the first thing that comes to mind is the recipe with turnip greens (cime di rapa in Italian). Apart from turnip greens there are other versions that use different vegetables, for example broccoli. The preparation of the orecchiette with turnip green recipe is quite simple and the goodness of the result depends form the quality of the ingredients that we use. In fact it is essential to pick the right turnip greens and wash and clean them thoroughly. Then we move on to the making of the pasta which is the main ingredient of this recipe. It must be rolled out by hand. But that is not all, in fact you should know that orecchiette pasta is usually enjoyed on special occasions or on Sundays. In modern days this pasta is easy to find everywhere in Italy. Another traditional recipe is that featuring orecchiette with tomato sauce and even some meat. In fact the particular shape of this pasta serves well to gather the sauce condiment. These recipes are appreciated all over the world and are the symbol of Puglia’s traditional cuisine.
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