Shaping Orecchiette

Walk down any street in Bari on a Sunday morning and you will see grandmothers at folding tables, dragging dough across wooden boards faster than you can follow. Orecchiette is the most accessible shape in the southern repertoire — and one of the most beautiful.

What you need

• Semola water dough (see Lesson 3 of Doughs)
• A smooth, dull butter knife or a small offset spatula
• A clean wooden board

That is it. No machine. No mold.

The technique

1. Roll a piece of dough into a long rope, as thick as your pinky finger.
2. Cut 1 cm pieces with the knife.
3. Place one piece flat-side down on the board.
4. Press the knife flat edge into the piece and drag it toward you firmly — the dough will smear and curl over the back of the knife.
5. Flip that curl inside-out over your thumb. You now have an orecchietta — a tiny ear-shaped cup with a slightly rough interior and a smooth dome.

The two textures

The rough interior catches sauce. The smooth dome gives bite. That contrast is the point of the shape.

Common mistakes

• Dough too soft: It sticks to the knife and tears. Knead in a little semola.
• Dragging too gently: No curl forms. Press firmly — the pasta should complain.
• Skipping the inside-out flip: You get a flat cap, not an ear. The flip is what gives it the cupped shape that holds broccoli rabe.

Drying and cooking

Lay finished orecchiette on a semola-dusted tray, not touching. They can be cooked fresh (4–5 minutes) or left to dry overnight (then cook 8–10 minutes).

The Pugliese classic

Orecchiette con cime di rapa — bitter broccoli rabe, garlic, anchovy, chili, breadcrumbs. The shape was invented for that sauce.