Orecchiette
Ingredients:
• 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose our (150 grams)
• 2 1⁄2 – 3 cups of semolina our (may be called durum wheat(300-320 grams)
• Warm water (as needed)• Sauce to top the pasta
Directions:
1. Mix the semolina our and all-purpose our. Make a circular groove in the middle of the dough.
2. Slowly add the water into the groove and mix together. Add the water a little bit at a time.
3. You’ll mix and knead the dough until it’s smooth and doesn’t ake o or break. Add water to your hands if the dough sticks to them
while you’re kneading.
4. Use the dough scraper or spatula to incorporate the bits of our that get stuck to the board or tabletop.
5. Prep trays with our or use a clean dishcloth.
6. Roll the dough into a log. Cut o a bit and place the rest of the dough in a covered bowl or plastic bag until you’re ready to use it again so it doesn’t dry out.
7. Roll the dough into a smaller log and then cut 1⁄2” – 3⁄4” pieces with a knife.
8. To prepare the pasta shape, take your knife in one hand and put a pasta piece between the knife and your thumb. A serrated knife works better to create ridges on the pasta.
9. Slide the dough pieces between the knife and your thumb to create a shell-like shape.
10. Flip the shell over your thumb upside-down and then place it on the tray. Wrinkles in your pasta are ideal!
11. If your dough rips as you slide it, you may be pushing too hard. If this happens, squish the pasta dough into a ball again and try again. 12. Once all your pasta pieces are all done, you will boil a pot of water with a little salt. You’ll want enough water to cover the pasta pieces. 13. Drop in the pasta by lifting the towel edges and dropping the pasta in or by scooping the pasta from the trays into the pot. It will be dry enough by this point that you won’t have to worry about changing its shape when you transfer it to the pot of water.
14. Boil the pasta for ve minutes, taste it, and then strain it.
15. You can also create a pasta sauce to go on top of the pasta.
In March 2020, when CSU shifted to teaching, learning, and working remotely, international students ew back home to quarantine with their families. One such student, Elena, and her mom, Michela, took the time at home to put together a pasta-making demo for the Cooking with International Programs series.
The series, which launched in April, provided an opportunity for sta and students in the O ce of International Programs to share a bit of their cultures with the Ram family, through a series of cooking demonstration videos. There are currently eight videos ranging from making Mongolian meat pockets in a traditional Mongolian dwelling to Chinese sweet and sour pork, with more coming up soon.
If you’d like to watch this video, or any in the series, go to youtube.com/user/CSUInternational
