The orecchiette is a traditional ear-shaped pasta from Apulia: strictly handmade, they are round and concave, with the centre thinner than the edge and a rough surface, about ¾ inch in diameter. Let's make it from scratch! We'll need: 1 cup (125 g) of durum flour 1 cup (125 g) of all-purpose flour ½ cup (130 g) of water ½ tbsp (8 g) of olive oil Start with the dough: combine the 2 flours in a bowl, transfer to a work surface, make an indentation in the middle and add a little water at a time while kneading. Then add the oil and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and soft, and form into a ball... wrap in cling film and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes, so that it becomes elastic. After such time, take a piece of dough and roll into a rope, not too thin. Keep the rest of the dough wrapped in cling film, to avoid drying out. Cut the rope into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces, more or less. With the tip of a butter knife, drag each piece of dough over the pastry board so that it takes the shape of a shell. Now turn the shell inside out over your thumb. Arrange the orecchiette on a cloth or on the floured pastry board and allow to dry a bit. Cook in boiling salted water for about 7-8 minutes. The orecchiette can be stored in the fridge for about 4 days. The longer they dry, the longer they will need to cook, of course. If you want to freeze the orecchiette, space them out on a tray and place in the freezer. Once frozen, you can transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 2 months.
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