Italians have been making orecchiette for almost 700 years and the way this pasta is made has changed very little. Although orecchiette pasta is traditionally from Puglia and neighbouring Basilicata, it is very popular throughout Italy today. The word ‘orecchiette’ means ‘little ears’ and, obviously, the name derives from the shape. Orecchiette are said to have become popular in Puglia between the 12th and 13th century, so, this is definitely a pasta of ancient origin. However, some food historians say that originally this pasta arrived in Southern Italy from Provence during the 13th century with the Angevins, who brought a form of pasta with them called ‘crosets’ similar to the orecchiette of today. The size of orecchiette in Puglia may be different depending on the place the pasta is made and the ingredients being used. They are traditionally cooked with broccoli rabe (rapini) known as ‘cima di rapa’ in Italian, but larger ones are often eaten with vegetables, much smaller ones are served with a meat sauce or ragù or tomato sauce with tiny meatballs.
