Orecchiette are a type of fresh pasta typical from Puglia, made from re-milled durum wheat flour, water and salt.

The round and concave shape is similar to small ears, hence their name! With a rough surface, a thin interior and a thicker edge, they are perfect for accommodating the most varied condiments, from the classic tomato sauce and ricotta to the traditional orecchiette with turnip greens.

Recipe:

it is a laborious preparation that requires some time and dexterity.

The secret is to make a dough not too soft that will allow you to shape an orecchietta out of the rough surface.

Cut the pieces to size, use a round-tipped knife, then turn them upside down. Once made, they must be left to air dry and finally you can store them in the fridge for a few days or freeze them.

Quantity for 4 people

• 400 g of re-milled durum wheat semolina flour

• 200 g of water

• 2 pinches of salt

Method

Make the dough by combining the flour with the salt in a large bowl.

Make a hole in the center and pour the water at room temperature.

Work with a wooden spoon first, to mix the liquids well, then turn it onto a work surface and knead vigorously for about 7-10 minutes until the dough becomes compact and homogeneous.

Wrap in cling film and leave to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

After the indicated time, detach a piece of dough from the ball.

Roll it to the shape of a “snake” on a work surface such as marble or wood without any type of flour to a thickness of 1 cm.

Slice many small pieces about 1 cm in size.

Finally dust the cutting board or tray where the orecchiette are going to be placed on, with a handful of semolina flour.

How to form Orecchiette by hand

First, round each piece, it will be easier to get a perfect shape quickly.

Use a knife with a round tip and press on the ball starting from the upper edge, "dragging" the knife forcefully over the whole ball until it gets concave.

At this point, turn the piece over by letting the central head come out and leaving the edges as they are… the orecchietta is ready!

Proceeding this way, make all the pasta by placing the orecchiette close to each other (not on top of each other) always taking care to dust the base with semolina: Leave to air dry for about 1 hour.

Preserving the homemade Orecchiette

Once the indicated time has passed, the pasta will become harder and naturally drier on the surface. At this point, sprinkle with semolina and mix it gently with your hands.

Leave it still for about 40 minutes exposed to air. Store in food grade plastic bags.

keep it in the fridge for 2 - 3 days or freeze it.

Cooking Orecchiette

Cook in plenty of salted water for about 4-5 minutes (the time for them to float to the surface)

Once cooked, season them to your liking!

- with a fresh tomato sauce enriched with Pugliese-style sheep ricotta

- with the tradutional dressing with turnip greens

- with vegetables or oil and parmesan, or even with an excellent ragù.

to be served on friselle or slices of homemade bread

Put in a blender: 

Tomatoes 

Olive oil 

Oregano 

Salt 

Blend for about 30 seconds

The limoncello is a very popular Italian liqueur made with citrus peel.

Born as a home preparation, limoncello has acquired great popularity to the point of becoming a real little holidays gift. In a beautiful bottle it can be given as a gift both at Christmas and during the Easter period.

The preparation of limoncello is simple but you must practice it meticulously. If well observed, in just over a couple of months you’ll get to taste this highly scented yellow liqueur with a strong aroma, most often as a digestive but also on desserts or in fruit salads.

Ingredients

o 5 large untreated b organic lemons

o Pure alcohol at 95° - 500 ml

o Sugar 600 g

o Water 750ml

Method

Wash the lemons under running water.

Rub the peel with a new sponge to remove any impurities, then dry the lemons with a cloth.

Peel the lemons with a potato peeler; take only the yellow rind and not the white part which would be bitter.

Pour the alcohol and the lemon zest into a hermetically sealed glass container (close the jar).

Macerate the peels in alcohol for 30 days in a dark place away from heat sources.

After 30 days, recover the zests and prepare the syrup: pour the water and sugar into a pan.

Bring the syrup to the boil and, once it reaches the boil, turn off the heat.

Pour the syrup into a jug and leave to cool completely.

Add the syrup to the container, together with the lemon zests.

Shake the jar to mix the syrup, then leave it to rest for 12 to 40 days, always in the dark, away from heat sources.

After the resting time, pick up the jar with the liqueur, shake it and then filter it through a strainer and collect the liqueur inside a bottle.

Small note: To make the taste of limoncello more particular, you can also add the peel of other citrus fruits.

Storage

Limoncello can be kept for a long time in a cool, dry place, in the fridge, or even in the freezer, the presence of alcohol and sugar will prevent it from freezing.

250 grams rye flour 

100 grams toasted almonds 

120 grams brown sugar 

Half a teaspoon of baking soda 

Preferred aromas (cinnamon - cloves - ginger - lemon, etc.) 

70 grams of olive oil 

70/80 ml of water (as needed) 

Jam of your choice

METHOD 

Knead everything together until a compact ball is formed. 

Roll out the dough on a sheet of parchment paper and shape it into a circle (using wet hands to help) with the diameter of the baking pan to be used, reserving a quarter of the dough for the final decoration. 

Transfer the sheet with the dough to the baking pan and prick the bottom with a fork, add the jam, decorate with the reserved dough, and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30/35 minutes!