When I
tell people that making homemade pasta is easy, they often respond that they
can’t because they don’t have the right equipment.
Pish-tosh,
I respond. All you need are two hands. That’s how Nonna did it, and so can you.
Sure,
having a nice Atlas roller and cutter makes it a lot easier, but it certainly
isn’t difficult without one. For first timers, I often suggest the easiest of
pasta doughs – a semolina dough – and making orecchiette. Orecchiette are little ears. Once you
know that, all you can see are ears when looking at the shape.
The dough
for orecchiette calls for only two ingredients: flour and water. Okay, for my
version, I mix two kinds of flours… but that really doesn’t make it more
difficult, does it?
This is my first video for Cocoa & Lavender – details of the pasta-making method are in the written recipe below. Peter Cortés, my friend
and one of our amazing Honors College students, shot the video and
did a terrific job! I learned a lot about the process, and know better
what to do next time. For example, I would form the ears with my left
hand instead of my right. I hope you enjoy; there will be more to come.
The nice
thing about making orecchiette is that you cannot make it with a machine. It is
definitely a handmade shape. (I am sure the pasta manufacturers have a machine,
but it isn’t available to the likes of us.)
Mix.
Roll. Cut. Flick. Repeat. That’s all it takes folks, and just imagine how
impressed your friends will be! (Actually, it is really fun to make it with
your friends, as I did here with Susan from The Modern Trobadorswhen she was visiting Tucson.)
Tutti a
tavola!
~ David
Orecchiette
7 ounces semolina
1 ounce “00” flour, plus extra
pinch of
salt
1/2 cup
warm water
In a
shallow bowl mix the salt & both flours together, add in most of the warm water and mix.
When it
has mostly come together (you may need to add more water or, if you added to much, you may need to add some more flour), turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and
begin kneading. The dough should be pliable – not too soft, and definitely not
crumbly. Add a little extra “00” flour if needed to make a good dough. Continue kneading for 5 minutes, then cover the dough in in a damp cloth (or wrap in plastic wrap) and
allow to rest for 30-60 minutes.
When you
remove the dough from the plastic, it will be a bit sticky. Knead it a few times
on your well-floured board, then cut it into 8 pieces. Recover 7 pieces and roll the remaining piece into a long, snake-like piece, about 3/8-inch thick; I found it is easier to get a long rope by rolling the dough between your hands. Using a dough scraper
or knife, cut off 3/8-inch pieces. Once they are all cut, roll each piece
between the palms of your hands and then press your thumb into, and drag it across a well-floured board to create the ear shape. Let the pieces dry on a board or wax
paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used up. (Note: I have not yet mastered the technique Nonna would use – shaping the orecchiette with a knife. But my process works pretty well.)
A this
point, the orecchiette may be frozen on sheets. Once completely frozen, put
them in a freezer bag. By freezing them on the sheet, they won’t stick to one
another in the bag.
To cook:
bring a large kettle of salted water to a boil. (Did you know that you should
salt the water just after it has come to a boil? It boils faster that way.)
Cook the
orecchiette in the salted water for 6 minutes. Drain and add to your sauce.
Serves 4.
Here is a traditional pasta sauce traditionally served on orecchiette. It is a great
favorite of ours:
Orecchiette
with Broccolini and Shallots
2 bunches
broccolini
4
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large
shallots, chopped pancetta, or hard sausage, optional
chile
pepper flakes, to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese, for serving
Trim the
very ends of the broccolini stems. Trim off the broccolini florets and set
aside. Slice the stems and set aside in a separate pile.
In a
large sauté pan,
heat the oil and cook the shallots and chile flakes until shallots are soft,
but not brown. If you are using either pancetta or sausage, you can add them with the shallots and cook until golden brown.
When the
pasta water is boiling, add the fresh orecchiette and broccolini stems. After 2-3
minutes, add the florets. *
After
another three minutes, remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside.
Drain pasta and broccolini and add them to the sauté pan. Cook for another minute
or two, then add some pasta water, as needed, to keep it moist.
Serve in
heated bowls with Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
* If you
are using store-bought dried orecchiette, cook for 6 minutes, then add stems,
then 2-3 minutes later add the florets for a total cooking time of 11-12
minutes.
Lovely video, David! Very pleasant to watch (and so much better than the peanut butter s'mores "recipe" ones I've been seeing lately…ugh)! Good way to show that a pasta machine isn't needed to make pasta! 🙂
Orecchiette is my favourite shape! Love the little ears 🙂 I was so hoping you would be on screen and talking! I only got see hands 🙁 I keep meaning to start with videos but I'm so scared of being in front of a camera and talking! So, it hasn't happened yet. I have made many a pasta with my hands so I k ow it's very possible. I do have an Atlas now, but of course, it's still sitting in the box….one day. Love the pasta and love the sauce, love broccoli and broccolini with orecchiete. Next video….we need to see YOU!
David, orecchiette pasta are a real crowd-pleaser at our house – looking at the comments above, not only at our house and homemade are the only way to go, even if it is quite a bit of work to prepare them for a crowd. I saw a recipe on MS a long time ago using the 00 and semolina flour and have been using it ever since – a great mix of flour to use for these. And congrats on your director´s debut. See you very soon in lovely Cologne – I sent you a mail via faceboook, hope that´s ok. Liebe Grüße nach Tuscan – btw should I shop/order anything special that you would love to bring back home with you…let me know if anything particular crosses your mind, please Andrea
I am glad to know you are already making them at home! It is probably really fun with the kids! I will respond back to you on Facebook – so excited to meet you, Thomas and the children.
I'm impressed no matter what. Easy or not, making pasta from scratch is still a production of sorts and a labor of love. Yours is beautiful and i LOVE the video. So artsy and cool. Lovely, David!
Love that you made a video David! And homemade pasta too, of course, who wouldn't be amazed! This is one recipe I need to try. There's so much comfort in making your own sunday pasta, and it's so therapeutic! Great post my friend.
D! I love the video. I wish I were there, helping you make these cute li'l orechiette. You make it look so easy. I'll have to see if I can make them. And I love your title. Very cute. Looking forward to more! xoox
Lovely video! You certainly make it look easy. This would be a fun dinner party – all of us sitting around making little ears. 🙂 I have made fresh pasta in the past, but not this shape – it's so much better than the dried!! It looks absolutely delicious, and it's making me so hungry right now.
Mmmh…. love orecchiette! Still haven't attempted making them at home, guess they are just so easy to buy here that I am lazy. But I know, I can just tell from your photos, that homemade are so much better!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
June 20, 2015 at 3:28 pmLovely video, David! Very pleasant to watch (and so much better than the peanut butter s'mores "recipe" ones I've been seeing lately…ugh)! Good way to show that a pasta machine isn't needed to make pasta! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
June 21, 2015 at 3:45 pmThanks, Christina – I am so happy I haven't seen the peanut butter s'mores recipe yet! 🙂
John | heneedsfood
June 20, 2015 at 9:55 pmI adore orecchiette. One of my favourite pastas, yet I haven't made it. Terrible, I know. Great video!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 21, 2015 at 3:46 pmIt's pretty easy, John – definitely worth doing! I am working on getting them thinner, and succeeding!
Unknown
June 22, 2015 at 10:04 pmOrecchiette is my favourite shape! Love the little ears 🙂
I was so hoping you would be on screen and talking! I only got see hands 🙁
I keep meaning to start with videos but I'm so scared of being in front of a camera and talking! So, it hasn't happened yet.
I have made many a pasta with my hands so I k ow it's very possible. I do have an Atlas now, but of course, it's still sitting in the box….one day.
Love the pasta and love the sauce, love broccoli and broccolini with orecchiete.
Next video….we need to see YOU!
Liz (Good Things)
June 21, 2015 at 12:44 amLike John, HNF, I have never made it either! Great video! : )
Cocoa & Lavender
June 21, 2015 at 3:46 pmThanks, Liz – I am really looking forward to making more of them!
Provence WineZine
June 21, 2015 at 6:53 amTerrifi post! I KNOW the orecchiette are fantastic, having had them with you.! Loved the video!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 21, 2015 at 3:47 pmYou need to come back, Susan – I am getting better at them since this first time I made them. 🙂
Provence WineZine
August 20, 2015 at 5:54 pmThey couldn't be better!
Cheri Savory Spoon
June 21, 2015 at 7:31 pmHi David, loved your video, it made me want to run out to the kitchen and make some of your lovely pasta!! The music was perfect too, very upbeat.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 22, 2015 at 1:27 pmThanks, Cheri – I didn't think it would be so hard to find music that worked! That actually took more time than making the video itself!
Nicole - RieglPalate.com
June 21, 2015 at 10:22 pmGreat video! Great seeing you in action. Love the simple sauce, too.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 22, 2015 at 1:28 pmThanks, Nicole – the sauce has been a favorite of ours for years!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
June 22, 2015 at 11:28 amNice job with the video…the little ears look perfect, David. I had orecchiette over the weekend but unfortunately mine weren't homemade.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 22, 2015 at 1:28 pmThey can be next time, Karen! Good luck with the house sale!
Anonymous
June 22, 2015 at 2:22 pmGreat video! Such beautiful lighting!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 22, 2015 at 4:33 pmThanks, Mimi! I want to make the next one a little brighter…
Sippity Sup
June 22, 2015 at 3:28 pmI've made pasta before and still I use the excuse of it's just too much "fuss". This video proves me a liar. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
June 22, 2015 at 6:23 pmGreg, when I see all that you do, I feel like such a slacker. I know you will be making orecchiette before you know it!
Unknown
June 22, 2015 at 10:05 pmI think I left my comment as a reply! Don't know how that happened….must be the fasting and the lack of food 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2015 at 1:42 pmLike you, I am screen shy. I am not fond of my voice, either. I have opted for a much less "me" centered series… hands and music… 🙂
I love my Atlas machine – I have certainly gotten my money's worth out of it! But hand making the pasta is fun, too… Hope you get to try some!
Anonymous
June 22, 2015 at 10:39 pmReally professional looking video! And you picked the perfect song. I must try this now. Thanks for the tutorial.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2015 at 1:43 pmThanks, Caterina – I will share your kind comments with Peter. He is a very talented young man! And thanks for your comment on YouTube, too!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
June 23, 2015 at 7:22 amDavid, orecchiette pasta are a real crowd-pleaser at our house – looking at the comments above, not only at our house and homemade are the only way to go, even if it is quite a bit of work to prepare them for a crowd. I saw a recipe on MS a long time ago using the 00 and semolina flour and have been using it ever since – a great mix of flour to use for these.
And congrats on your director´s debut.
See you very soon in lovely Cologne – I sent you a mail via faceboook, hope that´s ok.
Liebe Grüße nach Tuscan – btw should I shop/order anything special that you would love to bring back home with you…let me know if anything particular crosses your mind, please
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2015 at 1:44 pmI am glad to know you are already making them at home! It is probably really fun with the kids! I will respond back to you on Facebook – so excited to meet you, Thomas and the children.
Valentina
June 24, 2015 at 6:09 amI'm impressed no matter what. Easy or not, making pasta from scratch is still a production of sorts and a labor of love. Yours is beautiful and i LOVE the video. So artsy and cool. Lovely, David!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 24, 2015 at 1:46 pmValentina – I guess my feeling is that everything is easy if love is involved!
I Wilkerson
June 24, 2015 at 6:41 pmHow beautiful. Homemade pasta is soooo on my list!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 27, 2015 at 10:23 amThanks, Inger!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
June 24, 2015 at 11:02 pmLove that you made a video David! And homemade pasta too, of course, who wouldn't be amazed! This is one recipe I need to try. There's so much comfort in making your own sunday pasta, and it's so therapeutic! Great post my friend.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 27, 2015 at 10:26 amThanks, Paula! I love that you call it Sunday pasta!
Colette (Coco)
June 26, 2015 at 4:17 pmD! I love the video. I wish I were there, helping you make these cute li'l orechiette. You make it look so easy. I'll have to see if I can make them.
And I love your title. Very cute.
Looking forward to more! xoox
Cocoa & Lavender
June 27, 2015 at 10:28 amColette – it would be so much fun to make these with you somed! Happy weekend!
Cathleen | My Culinary Mission
June 29, 2015 at 11:15 pmLovely video! You certainly make it look easy. This would be a fun dinner party – all of us sitting around making little ears. 🙂 I have made fresh pasta in the past, but not this shape – it's so much better than the dried!! It looks absolutely delicious, and it's making me so hungry right now.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 30, 2015 at 5:16 amThanks, Cathleen! I hope you do put together a party and knock out hundreds of these ears!
Nuts about food
July 1, 2015 at 10:34 amMmmh…. love orecchiette! Still haven't attempted making them at home, guess they are just so easy to buy here that I am lazy. But I know, I can just tell from your photos, that homemade are so much better!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 5, 2015 at 5:06 amNot to mention that the pasta available in Italy is amazing! I'd buy it, too!
Unknown
July 19, 2015 at 7:04 pmLovely, cheery video…so well done! Hope you make one about bread making someday.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 19, 2015 at 8:22 pmThanks for that idea, Jean! I was talking to Perer about upcoming videos! Definitely this fall when it cools down!