RECIPE: Rec: Orecchiette. My first pasta making attempt tonight but I need some advice

[florisandy]

I’ve been searching and searching for a long time for the best semolina orecchiette recipe including videos of elderly Italian grandmothers making mass quantities with lightning speed using a knife or their thumb. Well, I tried that too… perhaps I need years of practice!

I followed this recipe to the tee and after kneading the dough for ten minutes, it was very workable albeit a bit stretchy before refrigerating for the required half hour. Since it was still too stretchy, I left it under a towel with the other portions I had cut for ten minutes before proceeding again.

I tried using the tip of a knife (angled) as well as my thumb and made huge globs as you can see looking at the upper portion of my baking tray. The ¾” slices were too big so I cut it down to ¼” and used my ½ tsp. to form which worked best of all.

I made almost a half pound and placed 5 eigth pieces in a Ziploc freezer storage bag.

My questions are:

1) Is the dough not “curling” due to the dough being too stretchy? I could stretch out the ropes better than I could roll it. Yes, my thumb and surface was lightly floured, but it just didn’t curl enough because the dough was too soft/stretchy.

2) Should I use less water to the mix next time to prevent the stretchiness?

3) Do you think by freezing the remaining dough might make for a more workable dough?

4) Any good recipes for orecchiette?

I’m letting the oriecchiette air dry for 24 hours.

I’ve made Marc Vetri’s Orecchiette with Veal, Capers and White Wine (see Image link) a few months ago using De Cecco’s boxed oriecchiette which is hard to find and I love the soft interior and chewy exterior of the pasta. This pasta holds sauce well and I’d like to perfect it.

Any help and/or recipes using orecchiette would be appreciated!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/Sandy_in_Philly/Making%20Pasta/IMG_0955.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/Sandy_in_Philly/Making%20Pasta/IMG_0956.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/Sandy_in_Philly/Making%20Pasta/IMG_0957.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/Sandy_in_Philly/Making%20Pasta/IMG_0958.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/Sandy_in_Philly/Making%20Pasta/IMG_0959.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/Sandy_in_Philly/Making%20Pasta/IMG_0960.jpg

http://www.hungrycravings.com/2008/05/orecchiette.html

http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/veal/2

 

[richard-in-cincy]

My $.02 worth...

shaped and filled pasta is tricky.

If you whip it up, let it set, and then later try to do anything with it you have a mess.

Been there and done it many times.

I'm not an Italian grandmother, but from my experience, I mix the dough, knead the hell out of it, put it in a bag and leave it in the fridge over night. The dough relaxes, absorbs evenly, and is much more pliable and workable.

The dough has a mind of its own and will morph into who knows what if you mix it up, shape it, and let it sit.

It doesn't matter what I do, how much kneading, etc. there is still a lot of moisture in the dough that will destroy your shapes unless you cook immediately.

Years ago for an important dinner reception I had a tray of hand cooked, hand-cranked and shaped tortellini melt into a glutinous mass that left me with tears when I pulled it out of the fridge to cook. (about 8 hours of work). I had no other choice than to pull wads of dough off the tray and throw them into the boilng water for "Italian dumplings". Yeah, I'm very authentic.

My advice is if you're cooking, shape, and immediately boil, you're OK. If you need to wait, you need to toss it on acerages of sheets with cornmeal/flour/semolina to keep its integrity.

Or, immediately freeze on baking sheets and then put in freezer bags (weeks ahead of time).

I think the key is to remember grandma was in the kitchen with nothing to do except make exotic filled pasta shapes. She did it right before she cooked.

 

[florisandy]

Thank you very much for your help Richard. For my next batch, I'll try refrigerating the dough

overnight to see if that might improve it. I want to make dried pasta to give as gifts and make fresh for myself, IF my Italian grandmother skills improve...

My sympathies to you on your 8-hour tortillini project. I would be crying too! They’re certainly more intricate to make.

Check out this Italian woman’s beautiful oriecchiette on video.

Grazie Richard!