Orecchiette is a type of pasta native to Apulia, whose shape resembles a small ear. In Italian, "ear" is orecchio, so this translates as "little ears". In the Taranto area it is still called by the synonym chiancarelle.
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INGREDIENTS
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cans of crushed tomatoes
1 tbs tomato paste
Pinches of oregano, rosemary, and thyme
Salt and pepper
500 g Ground beef
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus Parmesan to serve
½ cup
fresh white bread crumbs
4 tbs chopped fresh parsley
375-500g orecchiette pasta
PREPARATION
Heat oil, add onion and cook until browned add half of garlic and then the crushed tomatoes and paste. Add the herbs and let the sauce cook slowly on a low heat for 45 minutes stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix together the ground beef, Parmesan, breadcrumb, parsley and remaining garlic. Mold the mixture into walnut-sized balls and broil under a hot broiler for 10 minutes turning them half way through, until browned all over.
Add meatball to the tomato sauce, which should be thick and cook for 30 minutes. Bring 4 liters of water of salted water to boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente ( not fully cooked). Strain the pasta, serve in a big platter with sauce over the pasta and serve with plenty of parmesan cheese.