For the orecchiette
3 cups organic semolina
a pinch of salt
1 cup water
For the broccoli sauce
1 lb broccoli, cut into florets, and including the stems, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium sized onion, chopped finely
1 Italian dry red chili pepper, whole (or any not too hot dry red chili pepper, or a pinch of red chili flakes)
salt, to taste
extra virgin olive oil, as desired
1 lb ricotta cheese, about 2 cups, or as desired
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, or as desired
Put the organic semolina on a work surface, mound it up, and form a well in its center. Add the salt, then add the water a little at a time until it is completely absorbed and forms a dough.
Knead with your hands until the dough is smooth and firm, then let rest for about ten minutes.
Working one batch at a time, cut or break off a chunk of dough, then knead it until it becomes about ½ inch thick.
Now, make the dough into small individual cubes of about ½ inch in size.
Then, using the smooth blade of a knife, press each one into a small shell and drag it backwards with your fingertips towards you, on the lightly floured work surface so that it curls a little. Turn the shell and you will have formed the typical orecchietta. Set aside, toss lightly in flour, and leave on a lightly floured work surface while you repeat, until all of the dough is used.
Set aside while you prepare the broccoli sauce.
Boil the broccoli in salted water for five minutes, then drain using a slotted spoon, keeping keep the cooking water.
Sauté the onion in a skillet with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, then add the boiled, drained, broccoli florets. Stire, and cook for a few minutes over high heat, then add a ladle of the cooking water; cover and lower the heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring and adding more water if necessary.
Season with salt and add the chili pepper. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a wide bowl, mash the ricotta with a fork until it becomes creamy. Set aside.
Heat the broccoli cooking water until it comes to a boil, then add the pasta and cook for several minutes, stirring if needed, until the pasta is al dente; check after a minute or two for its progress.
Drain, reserving the cooking water, and add the pasta to the skillet with the broccoli sauce. Toss well then add the ricotta and a little pasta water, stir for a minute and serve steaming hot with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan.
Orecchiette may have originated in the Middle Ages in Provence, with a disc-shaped pasta pressed and thinner in the center; its name, orecchiette, means “little ears” in honor of its ear-like shape. In the local dialect of the city of Bari, they are called “strasc’nat”, literally ” strascinati – dragged“, describling how each piece of pasta is dragged with your finger on a table to obtain the classic round and concave shape.
From Provence to Puglia, the orecchiette’s travels were likely a result of the Angevin domination of the region in the 12th and 13th centuries. Today, this pasta is typical of Southern Italy, often served with rustic greens such as broccoli.