Orecchiettewithlentilsmintandfeta Recipes

ORECCHIETTE WITH ROASTED FENNEL AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the fennel: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Spray a small baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Toss the fennel, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Arrange the fennel in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast until golden and tender, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the sausage and break into 1/2-inch pieces using a wooden spoon. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add the onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until all of the wine has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, parsley and capers. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the pasta, fennel and cheese. Toss until all ingredients are coated, adding the reserved pasta water as needed, to loosen the pasta.

ORECCHIETTE CON RICOTTA E POMODORINI: ORECCHIETTE PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a pot of boiling water, cook the pasta for about 8 minutes (remove before the 'al dente' stage). While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the cherry tomatoes for about a minute. Add salt to taste.
• Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.
• Add the cooked pasta and ricotta cheese to the pan. Ladle in some pasta water - the excess pasta water will break down the ricotta cheese, creating a creamy sauce.
• Cook pasta in the pan with all the other ingredients for another minute. Top with cilantro, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

ORECCHIETTE WITH GARBANZOS, TOMATOES, FETA, AND MINT

Steps:

• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.
• Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, 6 tablespoons olive oil, chopped mint, green onions, chopped cilantro, and garlic in large bowl. Season to taste with salt.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garbanzo beans and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and pasta to tomato mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Add feta; toss briefly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with mint and cilantro sprigs. Serve warm or let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

ORECCHIETTE WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion starts to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Increase heat to high and add pancetta to the skillet. Cook and stir until crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove casings from the sausages; add sausage meat to skillet. Cook and stir until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet.
• Toss mushrooms into the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, and salt. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, 1 to 2 hours.
• Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in orecchiette and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 7 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water and drain without rinsing the pasta.
• Stir spinach into the sauce in the skillet. Cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Toss pasta into the skillet and stir to combine everything. Stir until heated through, adding some reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.

HOMEMADE ORECCHIETTE PASTA

Steps:

• Mix semolina flour and salt in a large bowl or on a marble work surface. Make a well in the center.
• Pour water into the well a little at a time, mixing it with the flour. Add as much water as needed to make a sticky but compact dough.
• Knead dough with your hands by flattening the ball, stretching it, and folding the top towards the center. Turn 45 degrees and repeat until dough is elastic and smooth, but not too soft, about 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using.
• Work with one portion of dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered to keep it from drying out. Dust a work surface with semolina flour; roll out the dough to make a rope, about 1/3 inch thick.
• Cut off little 1/3-inch thick pieces. Pick up knife with a rounded tip. Carefully hold one side of the dough with your index finger. Hold the knife in your other hand. Gently drag the small piece of dough towards you. Lift up the knife by the end in such a way that you get a thicker edge. You'll obtain a small disk of dough, thinner in the centre. Press the disk gently against your thumb and it will curve.
• Proceed the same way with the rest of the dough. Transfer orecchiette onto a floured surface and sprinkle with more semolina flour. Do not overlap orecchiette or they will stick together. Let dry for about 30 minutes before cooking.

HANDMADE ORECCHIETTE WITH MORTADELLA AND PEA SAUCE

Steps:

• Form the orecchiette:
• Mound 1 2/3 cups flour into a 7"-wide circle on a clean work surface. Form a 3" well in the center. Add eggs, oil, and salt to the well. Using a fork, slowly incorporate flour closest to well to make a paste, gradually pulling in as much flour as you can with the fork. Using a bench scraper or your hands, incorporate remaining flour, then knead with your hands, adding 1 tsp. water at a time if necessary, until a smooth, pliable dough forms.
• Fold top of dough toward you, then press down with the heel of your hands. Rotate dough 90 degrees. Continue kneading with this motion until dough is very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Using bench scraper or knife, cut ball into 3 equal-sized pieces. Pinch off a walnut-sized piece from 1 piece to work with, then wrap all remaining dough tightly in plastic wrap. Starting from the center outward, roll walnut-sized piece into a long, thin rope about 1/3" wide, preferably on a wooden surface to make rolling easier. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut rope into 1/3" pieces, then position them cut sides up. Using 2 fingers, press down to form 2 little indentations in a thin, flattened oval disc about 1/8" thick. Repeat with remaining dough, covering dough and formed orecchiette with plastic as you go. Lightly toss orecchiette with flour, then cover with plastic and let sit at room temperature up to 4 hours.
• Make the mortadella and pea sauce and assemble:
• Heat oil over medium-low in a large skillet. Cook garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time. Cook until sauce is thickened and creamy, 8-10 minutes. Immediately stir in mortadella and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over very low heat.
• Cook orecchiette in a large pot of generously salted boiling water just until pasta floats and is cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to skillet with sauce. Increase heat to medium, then add peas, half of the mint, and 4 Tbsp. cheese. Toss gently to coat; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta among bowls and top with remaining mint and 2 Tbsp. cheese.

ORECCHIETTE WITH LENTILS, MINT AND FETA

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil, add the beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove beans with slotted spoon and refresh with cold water.
• Cook the orecheiette till al dente, drain and set aside.
• To lentils and pasta, onion, balsamic, oil and herbs toss till combined, season with salt and pepper.
• Top with crumbled feta.

ORECCHIETTE WITH FENNEL AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a 3-quart sauté pan on medium-low. Add the sausages and cook, turning frequently, until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove sausages to a cutting board. Add fennel seeds to the pan, cook until fragrant, then add fresh fennel, onion and garlic. Sauté until translucent and just starting to color, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt. Turn off heat.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 13 to 15 minutes. As the pasta cooks, quarter the sausages lengthwise, then slice 1/2-inch thick. Add sausage to the sauté pan and heat on medium-low. Stir in mascarpone and season generously with pepper. Add 1/2 cup pasta water. Stir and continue heating gently. Mince 2 tablespoons of reserved fennel fronds.
• When the pasta is done, reserve another 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta - you don't have to be utterly thorough about it - and add it to the sauté pan along with enough additional pasta water for a mixture that's quite moist but not soupy. Check seasoning, fold in parsley and fennel fronds, and transfer to a serving dish, individual plates or bowls. Serve with pecorino alongside.

ORECCHIETTE WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND KALE

Steps:

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a wide skillet or saucepan and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. As soon as the garlic begins to smell fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute), add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and basil sprigs and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasoning.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Blanch for 2 to 4 minutes, until tender but still bright green. Using a skimmer, transfer to a bowl of cold water. Do not drain the pot of water. Drain the kale and squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine and stir into the tomato sauce.
• Bring the pot of water back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente, 10 to 11 minutes, or according to the cooking directions on the package. Drain and toss with the tomato and kale mixture right in the pan. Add the Parmesan, toss again and serve.

TOMATOES WITH ORECCHIETTE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until it begins to turn gold, about 1 minute.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes and thyme. Cook, stirring gently, until the skin begins to loosen from the tomatoes, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook 1 minute more. Add the chicken stock and simmer about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the thyme and ladle the tomatoes into serving bowls. Garnish with the basil leaves and pasta.