Homemade orichiette and rapini

The time has come, that I must take a trip to Italy. I can only travel through food these days.

I am making a particular pasta shape for the first time. This is called Orecchiette. It took this dough brain of mine a while to figure out why it has this name.

In Italian the word for ear is orecchio. In French it's l' oreille. In German it's Ohr. In Spanish it's oreja. There are four examples of the word ear in different languages that sound similar.

Why am I harping on about the word ear? Because these pasta shapes look like ears!

I've been noticing this pasta shape more and more. I wanted to make them myself. These shapes are commonly egg free, not that it matters to me. I would do egg free anyway, since I don't eat eggs.

The first part of this is easy peasy, as they say.

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Orecchiette

300g Semolina flour (durum wheat)
175g warm water

I decided to make it even easier by mixing the dough in the food processor. I usually do it all by hand for good therapy. Since I was doing this shape for the first time, I cut fast to the part of shaping.

The water should be hot, but not so hot that you burn your mouth if you drink it. Add it into the machine with the flour and mix it on lowest until it comes away from the sides.

Take it out, form a ball and start kneading.

When kneading fold and push, then turn to the side and keep repeating.

I just keep kneading until it feels nice and smooth.

Cover and rest for 20 minutes or so.

I just used a bowl to cover it.

After it's rested take it and cut a piece off, then cover the rest.

Roll it out long and cut it into little squares.

Take a serrated table knife, and press the piece rolling it towards you.

Turn it inside out and make a little cap with it. I made the pieces far bigger then I intended so next time, I'll cut the squares smaller.

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When the pasta is complete, set aside on a tray and start the rapini. I chose rapini also known as broccoli rabe.

As much as it looks like broccolini, broccoli, and Chinese broccoli, it is more related to the turnip. It has a slight bitter taste. It's not that bitter. I find the bitterness appealing but there would be some that wouldn't ever eat it.

I know people that will not, and have not, eaten any vegetables at all. If they were to eat this bitter leafy green, we would have to call an exorcist. It would be like throwing garlic juice on a vampire. They would melt like the wicked witch of the west. You get what I'm trying to say right? Do you know one of those people?

I chopped the ends in smaller pieces then the softer leafy parts.

I wanted to cook the stems a little bit longer then leaves, to keep the green colour.

I separated the stems and the leaves so I could blanch them starting with the stems.

After bringing a large pot of water to a rolling boil, I first added the stems. After around 10 seconds, I added the leaves and stirred for another 20 seconds or so. They were removed and cooled in cold water then drained.

I would be adding them to the other ingredients, after when the pasta was nearly cooked.

Rapini for pasta

500g rapini
180g onion
20g garlic
25g vegan butter or oil
150g plant milk (I use soy)
200g vegetable broth
30g flour
Juice of half lemon
zest of 1 lemon
2g fresh dill
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili flakes
1/4 cup wine (optional)
Salt to taste

I started the first part of the sauce in a sauce pan. I only did this because my big burners don't work and I don't want to complain to the caretaker.

After melting the butter in the pot on medium, I added the onions, then the garlic and some white wine.

Then I added the flour by sprinkling it evenly to not create lumps.

After mixing the flour in, I added the milk little by little while stirring and letting it thicken.

I added the broth afterwards, not for any reason in this order. I just did it that way. I suppose I could have mixed the liquids together and it would have been the same.

After the sauce was complete, I boiled the pasta. I added a very generous amount of salt.

These were larger than I wanted so I wasn't sure how long to keep them in. I just tested them after every few minutes until they were to my liking.

At the end of cooking the pasta, I add the blanched rapini and heat everything.

After draining the pasta I added it to the rapini mixture and gently mixed together.

I made a vegan parmesan to sprinkle on. It was a quick mix of ground almonds, nutritional yeast, a small pinch of citric acid and salt.

I don't always consume heavily spiced food but for me, a pasta dish is incomplete without chili flakes added to the top.

This was a fun thing to make and I didn't even get out my pasta machine. I really enjoyed eating pasta ears.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

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