Orecchiette

Orecchiette ( [ Orek - Kiet - te ], not [ Oret - tʃi̯et -th ]; Italian: ears ) are a type of pasta that comes from Puglia in Italy. They are therefore called also Orecchiette pugliesi. They are the symbol of the city of Bari, but are eaten in all parts of Puglia and are so to speak the national dish.

The orecchiette are made from grano duro di semola ( semolina ) and are hat-shaped, 2 to 3 inches in diameter and have a thickened peripheral rim and a slightly wrinkled surface. In Puglia, this pasta is traditionally associated with stem cabbage, broccoli with a related cruciferous (Italian: Cime di Rape ) or eaten with a tomato sauce, although there are many other regional preparations based on the orecchiette.

Origins

The origin of the orecchiette is probably in Provence in France, where such a type of pasta has been made ​​since the Middle Ages. Because they were good to dry and store, they were carried in large quantities on ships and thus arrived in the 12th century to Puglia.