Orecchiette are definitely a source of pride for the Italian and Apulian gastronomic sector. They are a format of fresh pasta made from durum wheat known and appreciated all over the world.
Thanks to their round and concave shape, orecchiette can be seasoned in several ways, starting with the traditional dish of Bari cuisine: orecchiette with turnip tops; but they can also be enjoyed with simple tomato sauce or with broccoli and sausage. In Puglia this type of pasta can be called in other ways: "recchie or recchietelle", due to their shape that vaguely resembles that of an ear, "chianchiarelle" if they are small, and "pociacche" if they are larger. There is also a variant of the orecchiette called "strascinate" which are only dragged with a knife on the pastry board without turning them over on themselves.

                        INGREDIENTS FOR PREPARING THE ORECCHIETTE:

• Warm water 200g
• Salt up to taste
• Remilled Durum Wheat Semolina 400g

                        PREPARATION:

• To prepare the orecchiette, first pour the re-milled durum wheat semolina flour onto the pastry board, form a fountain and add a pinch of salt to the flour.
• In the center, start pouring the water, which must be at room temperature and start working with your fingers to incorporate the flour a little at a time so that it absorbs the water that you will continue to pour
• Then work by kneading with your hands until you obtain a homogeneous and elastic consistency. It will take about ten minutes to process. Give the dough a round shape and cover it with a cloth: it will have to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• After the resting time, using a pastry cutter, take a piece of dough, while the rest can be left covered by the cloth. Work the piece and make a loaf about 1 cm thick. From this, cut into small pieces about 1 cm in size.
• With the help of a smooth-bladed knife, form shells by dragging each piece towards you on a lightly floured surface. Then turn the shell over on itself to form your orecchiette. Continue in this way until the dough is finished and you will have made your Apulian orecchiette!

                         STORAGE:
You can dry your orecchiette covered (but not sealed) with a dry cloth; once dried, you can keep them for about a month.

Alternatively, it is recommended to freeze them on a tray, arranging them well apart, and once they have hardened in the freezer, transfer them to more convenient freezer bags for storage.