One thing Italians share with the rest of the world is their love for pasta. Pasta remains part of a rich tradition that impacts every corner of Italy, meshing with regional cultures and influencing local cuisine.
Orecchiette is a pasta specialty from the beautiful southeastern region of Puglia, down in Italy’s southern ‘heel’. It’s one of the country’s flattest and most fertile regions, with wheat and olive oil produced in abundance.
Orecchiette translates to ‘small ears’—a fitting name for a dome-shaped pasta that looks like tiny ears. This pasta has a thin, concave center, chewy edges, and a rough surface texture. Orecchiette require only three ingredients: hard wheat flour, water and salt.
Their particular shape, combined with the rough surface, makes it perfect for any kind of sauce, especially vegetable sauces.
With its deep-rooted history in the region, use of simple ingredients, and its convenient versatility, orecchiette has become a defining part not only of Puglia’s cuisine, but its culture, as well. And its popularity extends far beyond the region of Puglia.
I absolutely love orecchiette with its chewiness and nice ‘cupping’ ability. Pared with some cheesy meatballs, this meal is so good!
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SERVINGS
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- 2 Tbsp olive oil, for baking sheet
- 454 gm ground chicken OR turkey
- 60 gm Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp parsley,
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- 250 gm orecchiette pasta
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 60 gm Parmesan cheese, grated
- 230 gm mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 1/2 Tbsp basil paste this is found in the herb section in the vegetable department of the grocery store
Ingredients
Meatballs
Pasta Sauce
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- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta & cook until tender but still firm to the bite., stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Transfer pasta to a bowl & add the parmesan. Toss to lightly coat orecchiette, adding reserved pasta water, if needed to loosen pasta.
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with foil & rub with oil.
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, egg & garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Form into 30-40 meatballs, then place on prepared baking sheet & bake until browned & cooked through about 25 minutes.
- In a large pot, add chicken broth & tomatoes & bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer until tomatoes are soft. Remove from heat & add meatballs & pasta/cheese mixture. Combine grated mozzarella cheese with basil paste.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 9-inch baking dish.
- Place meatball/pasta mixture in baking dish & top with mozzarella cheese/basil mixture. Bake only until cheese is melted.
