Orecchiette are small hand made pasta sometimes called “Puglian gnocchi.” They fit into the category of pasta court, or short pasta, but have the texture of handmade dumplings. The old women in Bari Vecchio produce these dumplings, by hand, at an impressive speed; watching them is amazing. Sometimes the dough will be made with semolina and regular wheat four, other times buckwheat flour or burned flour. In ancient times, burned flour was made by the poor from bits of the wheat reaped from fields that were burned after the harvest. Traditionally, orecchiette are finished with sautéed turnip greens and topped with grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese.

Ingredients

• 255 grams/1 ½ Cups Semolina Flour, plus more for dusting
• 255 grams/1 ¾ Cups and 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 255 grams/1 Cup and 1 Tablespoon Warm Water, plus more as needed

Instructions

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the semolina flour, all-purpose flour, and salt at medium speed. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon or mix on medium speed until a cohesive but not sticky dough forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and knead with your hands or on medium speed until the dough is smooth and soft without being sticky or dry, about 8 minutes more. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and dust with semolina. Cut off a chunk of dough about the width of two fingers and cover the rest with plastic wrap. On an unfloured work surface, use your hands to roll the chunk into a log about ¾ inch (2 cm) in diameter. Cut the log into ¼ inch (6 mm) pieces. Lightly dust the work surface with semolina. Press down on each piece of dough with your thumb, pushing away from you and twisting slightly to form an indented disk. Now place the disk on the tip of your thumb and gently pull down on the edges with your other fingers, molding the dough to form a cup shape. Put the orecchiette on the prepared baking sheets and shape the remaining dough. Make sure that the orecchiette don’t touch or they will stick together.
3. (To store, refrigerate on the baking sheets, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days, or freeze on the baking sheets and transfer to an airtight container. Use within i month. Do not thaw before cooking.)
4. Bring a large pot filled with generously salted water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the orecchiette and simmer until they float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Simmer for I to 2 minutes more, until al dente. Remove immediately with a slotted spoon. Serve right away.