Apulian recipe
Orecchiette with Puglian colors, broad beans, Acquaviva red onion, extra virgin olive oil, and wild rocket
Orecchiette dell'orto (little garden orecchiette) are a traditional dish from Puglia, and the orecchiette themselves are the epitome of traditional Apulian cuisine. In dialect, they're called "l'strascnat," literally "dragged," from the custom of dragging the pasta across the Tavoliere (a traditional work surface) with your finger to create a round, concave shape. Traditionally, this pasta is handmade, which makes it even more special and unsurpassed.
Let's go shopping:
- 400g of fresh orecchiette, preferably homemade
- 300 g of shelled broad beans
- 1-2 red onions from Acquaviva
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
- wild rocket
How to prepare:
Soak the fava beans overnight. The next day, drain them and place them in a pan. Cover with plenty of water and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook without raising the heat, stirring occasionally, until the fava beans have a nice creamy consistency. Season with salt and oil. Meanwhile, boil the orecchiette in plenty of salted water and sauté the sliced red onions. Once the orecchiette are ready, pour them into a bowl and toss them with the fava bean purée and the onion sauté. Lunch is ready! To enhance the flavor of this dish, serve it with wild arugula.
Enjoy your meal!
The places of the recipe
Orecchiette are a traditional Apulian staple, featuring in a variety of dishes, such as the famous "orecchiette with turnip tops." Orecchiette are especially special because they're handmade. We invite you to explore Bari's old town, whose narrow streets reveal years of history, tradition, and the experience of housewives who prepare orecchiette on wooden boards, sitting outside their homes. Not only can you watch them being prepared, and possibly even buy some, but the lucky ones might even witness the "drying" phase, the moment when the orecchiette, left undisturbed in the city's sunny alleys and covered with tea towels, "get air," drying and resting, safe in the knowledge that no one will disturb their moment of peace.