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Homemade Orecchiette Pasta from Puglia
5 from 52 votes

Homemade Orecchiette Pasta from Puglia

This homemade orecchiette pasta is made with semolina flour, water, and salt, kneaded into a smooth dough and rested before shaping. The dough is rolled into small pieces and individually pressed with a knife to form the characteristic ear-shaped pasta typical of the Puglia region in Italy.

Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Resting time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 270 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian

Ingredients

  • 300 g semolina flour 10.5oz) Semola di grano duro, hard wheat
  • 160 g water (5.4floz) tepid
  • 2 pinch salt plus salt for cooking pasta
  • semolina flour for dusting

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mound the flour on a pastry board or work surface, make a well in the middle and add the salt. Slowly add the water whilst incorporating the flour and water together. You can use a scraper to help keep the flour and water together. (I like to start in a bowl and once I have a dough like mixture, I turn it out onto a board and start kneading)
  2. Work the dough until no dry flour remains. Then knead until smooth and elastic. About 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let it rest for about 15-30 minutes. (Some people don’t do this with flour and water dough but I like to)
  3. When you are ready to make the orecchiette, cut off about ⅓-1/4 of the dough and roll it out into a sausage about 10in/25cm in length. Cut the sausage into 1-2 cm (0.4-0.8in) pieces.
  4. Take one piece of dough and  a normal dinner knife and hold the knife at a 45-degree angle to your work surface, then press and roll the piece of dough toward you. When you reach the end of the piece of dough, stop and unfurl the dough over your thumb in the opposite direction to form a concave shape. Put the ready orecchiette on a baking sheet or tea towel, lightly sprinkled with semolina flour. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  5. Your homemade orecchiette can be stored at room temperature overnight. So you can make the pasta the day before cooking and serving.

Notes

  • Cook the orecchiette in boiling salted water until they float, then continue cooking for 2 more minutes for proper doneness.
  • Test cooked pasta before draining to ensure tenderness suits your preference.
  • Allow dough to rest covered before shaping to improve elasticity and ease of handling.

Nutrition Information

Calories 270kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 55g (18%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 0.1g (1%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g (2%) Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g (1%) Sodium 22mg (1%) Potassium 140mg (3%) Fiber 3g (12%) Calcium 14mg (1%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 270

% Daily Value*

Calories 270kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 55g 18%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0.1g 1%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g 1%
Sodium 22mg 1%
Potassium 140mg 3%
Fiber 3g 12%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.