Hand Formed Orecchiette

An easy starter shape that may just get you hooked on hand formed pasta.

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This is the third in our series on hand-formed semolina flour pasta from an unpublished book we wrote a few years ago. Our hope is to inspire you to experience the world’s easiest and most enjoyable pasta.

Orecchiette (which is truly nothing more than a cavatelli flipped inside out) can be made as large as a golf ball or as small as your thumbnail. The smaller orecchiette are most often served with ragu while the larger ones (larger means fewer/faster to make!) are served with vegetable sauces. Following the steps to make cavatelli, after the shape rolls over and off the knife into a boat shape, place your thumb on the back of the shape and turn the cavatelli inside out into a cup shape using your thumb as a form. You will recognize this immediately as the dried boxed orecchiette which you’ve undoubtedly enjoyed in the past. However, this semolina pasta version will be more toothsome, almost chewy. It is so satisfyingly substantial and its shape is great for catching sauce in each little cup you lovingly hand formed. We think it’s perfect with our Orecchiette con i Broccoli!

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Orecchiette

Makes 4 servings

1 recipe Semolina Flour Pasta Dough (see instructions here)