Orecchiette is a small, ear-shaped pasta. In Italian, it comes from the word orecchio or ear. A traditional pasta from the Puglia region of southern Italy, it is often made by quickly pressing one’s thumb over a small ball of pasta dough. By doing this, the pasta maintains two distinctive textures, soft in the middle and a chewy outside. Orecchiette can be found in many classic Italian dishes, served with savory sauces.

How to Cook Orecchiette

Bring 4-5 quarts of salted water to a boil. Gently add orecchiette pasta and stir for 1 minute. Lightly boil for 8-10 minutes or until “al dente.” Drain and serve with your favorite homemade sauce.

An Artisanal Process

This orecchiette pasta is made from 100% semolina flour and water. The pasta is dried for a period of 24 to 36 hours. This longer drying period results in a superior quality and texture. The pasta is hand stirred to ensure even drying. All dry pasta is carefully inspected to ensure that only the best quality product makes it to your plate.

Our Artisanal Pastas In A Nutshell

Everybody loves pasta! But believe it or not, it’s not all the same. We specially chose our artisanal pasta supplier from a New Jersey-based, family owned business with a passion for pasta. For over 45 years, these specialty pasta makers have been carefully handcrafting their premium pastas using 100% semolina flour in every small batch.

Conventional Pastas vs. Artisanal Pastas

The last box of conventional pasta (or dry pasta) you picked off your pantry probably held shiny, golden colored noodles that were smooth in texture. When cooking pasta dishes, you actually want the opposite! Artisanal pastas are extruded through a bronze die and made with a super-coarse grind of durum wheat, which allows the pasta to dry more slowly and at a lower temperature than conventional pastas. This process makes artisanal pastas chalkier in color and rougher in texture which results in a richer-tasting, chewier-textured pasta that easily clings to sauces of all sorts. Bon appetit!