Orecchiette - Homemade Egg-Free Pasta

 Ingredients: 150 g flour, 185 g semolina flour plus extra for dusting the dough, salt - a pinch (about twice what you can hold between three fingers), 125-185 ml warm water (depends on the flour), 2 tablespoons of olive oil (I used grape seed oil)

Last week, I ventured into the wonderful world of pasta dough and made these little orecchiette, true delights for the taste buds. However, I didn't stop there, but used the same dough to create noodles, which I boiled in tomato soup, ideal for the fasting period. The preparation process is simple but requires a little patience and learning.

The first step is to weigh the flours, which are put into a deep bowl. Here we add salt and mix well with a fork to ensure that the salt is evenly distributed. After achieving this homogeneous mixture, we transfer the flour to a wooden board, and in the middle of it, we make a small well. In this indentation, we add half the amount of water and the two tablespoons of olive oil.

Using the fork, we start mixing the ingredients, taking from the inner edge of the flour mound and homogenizing. As we incorporate the water, we adapt to the texture of the dough, gradually adding more water if necessary. It is important to adjust the amount of water according to the humidity in the air, as the dough should be smooth but not sticky.

Once we have achieved the right consistency, we proceed to knead by hand, using the palm of our hand to press and shape the dough. It is a pleasant process that requires attention and love. When the dough becomes elastic and homogeneous, we place it in a bowl, cover it with a damp towel or put it in a plastic bag, and let it rest for about thirty minutes.

After this time has passed, we divide the dough into smaller balls, which we cover again to prevent drying. We take one ball of dough and roll it into a cylinder about one centimeter in diameter, from which we will cut pieces of about half a centimeter. Using the blade of a rounded knife, we start forming the orecchiette, placing the little piece on the board with the cut side up.

Here comes the magic: we place the blade with the opposite side to us on the dough and gently pull towards us, forming the small ears. If we wish, we can round them on our index finger, straightening the edges with our thumb. This is an optional detail, but it can make a difference in the final appearance of the dish.

After forming them, we dust the orecchiette with a little flour and let them dry, then boil them in salted water with a splash of oil. We can then serve them with our favorite sauce or fresh vegetables. In our case, we opted for a garlic sauce, sometimes enriched with crispy breadcrumbs. This versatile dough is also ideal for making noodles for soup, being perfect both for the fasting period and for those who prefer an egg-free diet. This simple and tasty recipe can easily become a favorite on your menu.

 Tags:  flour oil olives lactose-free recipes vegetarian recipes