For our orecchiette, we blend equal parts durum and semolina, and then add 50% water and 0.75% salt by weight. The dough takes a good amount of kneading, in several sessions, with resting periods in between. After kneading, we ended up refrigerating the dough for a few days because life got away from us. When I finally returned to the dough, it was fully hydrated, shiny in appearance, and smooth to the touch. I cut the dough into fifths and rolled them into logs. I used a paring knife to cut and pull the dough into what at first looked like cavatelli. I inverted the pulled pieces, and then we had beautiful orecchiette in our hands. Halfway through the process, the blade broke on the paring knife. I continued on with our metal bench scraper. It turned out to be a more functional tool for the job. After shaping the noodles, I dusted them with semolina and refrigerated them.
Often, we blend meats for sauce. What we haven’t yet done, not consciously, is blend ground beef and sweet Italian sausage. We have made assorted Bolognese sauces from pepperoni to pork roll, but somehow this one escaped us. I took equal parts ground chuck and sweet Italian sausage and cooked them down in olive oil. I minced the meat as it cooked, breaking apart large chunks and fully blending the ground beef and sausage together. As the mixture cooked down, I added a can of tomatoes and smoked soy sauce. Then I let everything simmer for 30 minutes, cooking, reducing, tenderizing, and blending. It was becoming sauce. The harmonization happened as the sausage began to flavor the meat and tomatoes, seasoning the sauce rather than becoming the focus.
We cooked the orecchiette, a noodle that requires a longer cooking time than most people expect, until they were tender with a slight chew. We transferred them to the simmering sauce and let them cook for a few minutes more, allowing the two elements to come together as a harmonious dish. I spooned the pasta into bowls and finished it with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
The orecchiette are addictive. They have substance and tenderness. You can sink your teeth into them and really taste the noodles and the sauce coming together in your mouth. The sausage-meat sauce is comforting and thought-provoking. Together or separate, these pieces are ripe with potential to create.
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