Orecchiette Pasta Recipe

Make Fresh Orecchiette at Home With This Easy Recipe

4.0

(2)

2 Reviews

Douglass Williams's homemade orecchiette recipe calls for just four ingredients.

Douglass Williams

Published on September 25, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Homemade Orecchiette — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Active Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 30 mins

Yield:

about 5 cups

Pasta wizard and 2020 F&W Best New Chef Douglass Williams of Mida in Boston shared this recipe for homemade orecchiette. The four-ingredient dome-shaped pasta is relatively easy to form with a little practice — even if you’ve never made pasta by hand before. They require no special equipment, and if you want to make orecchiette ahead of time for later, they also freeze beautifully.

Frequently asked questions

What is orecchiette?

Orecchiette is a classic Italian pasta shape common in central and southern Italy. Orecchiette translates to “little ears” — the name is due to the pasta's ear-like, concave shape.

How long should I cook orecchiette?

In general, if using store-bought pasta, it’s best to cook according to package directions. For most store-bought dried orecchiette pastas, cook for about 12 minutes until al dente. In the case of fresh pasta, such as Douglass's homemade orecchiette, the time is much shorter, about 2 to 3 minutes.

What goes well with orecchiette?

Since you’re taking the trouble to make orecchiette from scratch, let them shine! Try them draped in Douglass Williams’s roasted chickpea pesto, or in recipes like orecchiette with broccoli rabe and bread crumbs or orecchiette with salmon, arugula, and artichokes.

Can I make this in advance?

To freeze the homemade orecchiette, place orecchiette in an even layer on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Freeze until hardened, about 30 minutes. Transfer to zip-close plastic freezer bags, and freeze for up to 1 month. Cook from frozen as directed.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

If you’ve never made pasta by hand before, dome-shaped orecchiette are a great place to start. Our testers advise home cooks to shoot for drier dough, and resist the temptation to add more water than the recipe calls for if it feels too dry. Keeping the dough on the dry side helps prevent it from sticking to your thumbs when you shape the pasta.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

2 cups Italian-style 00 flour or all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 ounces)
2 cups semolina flour (about 11 ounces), plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plus 2 to 4 tablespoons warm water (about 100°F), divided

Directions

Stir together 00 flour, semolina flour, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Pour 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water into well. Using a fork, gradually mix water into flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer mixture to a clean work surface. Press and knead together until a smooth, elastic dough forms, 10 to 15 minutes, adding remaining 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap; let rest at room temperature 1 hour.
Dust 2 large baking sheets with semolina flour. Unwrap dough; cut into 1/2-inch squares, and toss lightly with semolina flour. Working with 1 dough square at a time, press into the palm of your hand with your thumb in a twisting motion, and place on prepared pan. Repeat process with remaining dough squares. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to use.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add orecchiette to boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes.

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, October 2023