I still remember the first time in Puglia, while on a pleasure trip, I had the opportunity to taste the legendary orecchiette. For me at the time, turnip greens were a taboo, so I remember tasting them with excellent tomato sauce and cacioricotta. I have evolved a bit today, so when the season comes turnip greens, I can’t help but prepare cavatelli and orecchiette. Apulian orecchiette, like cavatelli, are a type of fresh pasta prepared by hand with 00 flour and semolina flour in a variable percentage depending on the families. For convenience I make half and half, but the most suitable proportion would be 70% semolina, 30% flour 00. Let’s see together how to prepare, armed with a lot of patience, this traditional first coursetopped with turnip greens.

Preparation

1

First clean the turnip greens, leafing through the changes and cutting the flowers. Wash them in water a couple of times.

2

In a bowl or with a mixer, mix the two flours and add, mixing water gradually, until a smooth, compact and firm dough is obtained. It will take about 80ml of water.

3

Let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

4

Then take portions of the dough and give it the shape of a loaf.
Cut them into pieces of about one centimeter.

5

With a serrated knife with a rounded tip, press lightly on the small piece of dough and form a hollow.

6

Turn it over on your index finger so that the rough part ends on the outside and the dough takes on its characteristic shape.

7

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the turnip greens from the boil for 10-15 minutes, then lower the pasta and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

8

Meanwhile, heat a pan with plenty of oil, garlic and chilli.

9

When the pasta is ready, drain it directly in the pan with a slotted spoon and sauté over high heat for a few minutes.
Serve hot.

Tips and Curiosities

Orecchiette are called in this way precisely because they have a shape similar to small ears and we find them specifically in Puglia and Basilicata. They are not very large and their concave shape is rough on the surface. The origins of orecchiette are ancient but there is no certain provenance. There are various hypotheses: the first is that they appeared for the first time in Provence in France and that later with the arrival of the Angevins in Italy, they spread to the conquered lands of Puglia and Basilicata. Another hypothesis suggests instead that the orecchiette arrived in Puglia with the arrival of the Jewish communities. In fact, it seems that the orecchiette were born, as a variant of Haman’s ears, concave-shaped sweet doughs prepared for the celebration of Purim. The orecchiette they are also called “strascinati”. They can be seasoned with other ingredients, such as broccoli or tomato. The secret to the success of the dish is to cook the vegetables that season it at the right point. This is a traditional peasant dish, simple but with strong flavors.