Orecchiette with Rocket and Tomato

First of all, fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to the boil. In the meantime, cut the cherry tomatoes in half after washing and drying them carefully. Crush the two garlic cloves and gently fry them in extra virgin olive oil.

When the water comes to the boil, add salt and then drop the fresh orecchiette into the pan, leaving them to cook for about 6 minutes. 

When the garlic is golden brown, add the cherry tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Stir the tomatoes and let them heat through well before adding the rocket leaves. Stir again and after 2 minutes, remove from the heat.

Strain the orecchiette carefully and add them to the sauce. Toss all the ingredients together to mix well. Plate up the orecchiette with tomato and rocket. Before serving, sprinkle with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Useful tips and interesting facts

In the city of Bari, the capital of the region of Puglia which constitutes the ‘heel’ of Italy, there is a street in the old town centre where the women make orecchiette by hand every morning. Made exclusively from water and re-milled durum wheat semolina flour, that of orecchiette is a typical Apulian pasta shape traditionally served with turnip tops, a vegetable with a slightly bitter taste. Freshly made orecchiette need to rest for a few hours before being cooked to ensure that their final consistency is perfect. 

Variants

You may serve your orecchiette simply with tomatoes or, alternatively, with a few rounds of chilli pepper. To give a more savoury flavour to your dish of orecchiette with tomato and rocket, use hard ricotta cheese instead of Parmigiano Reggiano.