• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
AT HOME WITH REBECKA
  • ABOUT
    • CONTACT
    • TALENT CONTACT
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • DISCLAIMER
  • RECIPE INDEX
    • RECIPES
    • FLORAL EDIBLES LIST WITH PHOTO
    • ORGANIC EDIBLE FLOWERS RESOURCES
    • HOME CANNING SAFTEY GUIDELINES
    • VIDEOS
  • OPERA JOURNEY
  • AWARDS and PUBLICATIONS
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • ABOUT ME
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • AWARDS and PUBLICATIONS
  • OPERA JOURNEY
  • VIDEOS
  • CONTACT
×

Home » Italian Escarole Soup with homemade Orecchiette

Italian Escarole Soup with homemade Orecchiette

September 26, 2012 by athomewithrebecka 10 Comments

italian soup1edited

 

My impression has always been that oreccheite are difficult to make, to my surprise nothing could be further from the truth.  Although, time-consuming the technique is simple and well worth the effort.  I added the delicate pasta to my robust and garlicky, Italian Escarole soup; with a hint of spice from the escarole, the tiny orecchiette elegantly enhanced the soup by gathering the flavors into their soft folds.

For the pasta

Makes - several dozen (unused pasta can be frozen)

  • 2 cups semolina flour, plus more for baking sheet
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 cup water, divided, plus more if needed

Method

  • Mound semolina and all-purpose flours and salt in 3 separate piles on a large, clean work surface.
  • Using your fingers, swirl ingredients together until combined.
  • Gather flour mixture into a pile, and create a well in center. Pour ½ cup water into well.
  • Gradually incorporate flour mixture into water using your fingers.
  • Once all the water is absorbed, continue adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture begins to form a dough.
  • Start to gather and knead dough, working it until no dry flour remains on work surface.
  • Continue to knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
  • Divide dough into 16 equal portions, and cover them with a clean, damp kitchen towel.
  • Roll 1 portion of dough into an 18-inch-long rope.
  • Use a knife to cut and drag a ⅓-inch piece of dough from end of rope facing you -- a grainy wooden cutting board helps grip the dough.
  • Holding knife at a 45-degree angle to work surface, press and roll dough toward you.
  • Unfurl each piece of dough over your thumb in the opposite direction to form a concave shape, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lightly sprinkled with semolina flour. Repeat with remaining dough. Orecchiette can be stored at room temperature in a single layer overnight; cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.

pasta4

pasta5

soup

 

I followed the recipe without deviation, finding my results to be pretty near perfect.  It's a great thing to find a recipe that actually turns out looking like the photo and tasting delicious at the same time. The only thing that I would pay closer attention to, is my measurement of the pasta. The more orecchiette I made, the bigger they got resulting in 'Belle Grandi' Orecchiette!  The pasta gets bigger as it cooks so my sweet 'little ears' plumped up into large ears however, they still tasted fantastic.

 

For the Soup

serves 6

2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups roughly chopped escarole
7 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken base plus more to taste
2 cans (15 ounce) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1(16) ounce can good quality diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion to pot and cook until translucent stirring frequently, add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add water, chicken base, beans, and diced tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for additional 30 minutes
  • Increase heat to bring soup bake to the boil, add orecchiette and cook for 5 minutes, add escarole and cook additional 15 minutes or until pasta is al denti.
  • Serve with crusty Italian bread and a sprinkle of shaved Parmesan cheese or homemade ricotta
soupclose

Sources:

Martha Stewart Living October, 2012 page 74-76.  Written by Lucinda Scala Quinn

wikipedia

This recipe is being entered in the Cooking with Nonna Columbus Day Recipe Contest: Theme: Homemade Soups

« Canning Fig Preserves
SAAG PANEER »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. athomewithrebecka

    October 10, 2012 at 5:21 pm

    I won the contest!! Yea! I can't wait to get the basket of Academia Barilla products! The basket includes: fine EV Olive Oils, Fruit Preserves, Tomato Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar and a fantastic cookbook by a celebrity chef with a great collection of recipes. Thank you Rossella Rago and Cooking with Nonna staff for choosing my recipe!

    Reply
  2. [email protected]

    September 30, 2012 at 11:29 am

    Your new home looks great! As does this soup. Orecchiette are such a nice shape. I don't believe I've had them in a soup - great idea. And I like greens in soups. Really nice - thanks.

    Reply
    • athomewithrebecka

      October 02, 2012 at 1:32 pm

      So nice to see you John! Thanks for visiting my new blog home.

      Reply
  3. Blackswan

    September 29, 2012 at 8:10 am

    Hi dear, great to be here too! Love the new look & hope to see more of you.
    Wow, that's a tasty recipe you've got here too! Happy blogging!

    Reply
    • athomewithrebecka

      September 29, 2012 at 11:00 pm

      Thank you so much Shirley. I'm still tweaking to get the final look. Sorry it wasn't ready when you stopped by.

      Reply
  4. [email protected] Journal

    September 29, 2012 at 12:46 am

    I like your new home, bright and spacious 🙂
    Love your hearty soup too ~ slurp!!

    Reply
    • athomewithrebecka

      September 29, 2012 at 1:05 am

      Thank you Ann! I still have a lot to do to fix the place up! I lost me theme moving to the .org so now back to square one...ugh! Thank you for visiting!

      Reply
  5. athomewrebecka

    September 28, 2012 at 10:29 am

    Thank you Carol!! I'm so excited to be on WordPress. More great changes to come with new plugins!! xoxo

    Reply
  6. Carol White

    September 28, 2012 at 5:31 am

    Love your recipe Rebecka also your blog is wonderful.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Cooking with Nonna Winner - Academia Barilla Prizes says:
    January 4, 2013 at 9:25 PM

    [...] recipe for Italian Escarole Soup with handmade Orecchiette, was chosen the winner of the Cooking with Nonna, Columbus Day Recipe Contest.  As the winner, I [...]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Rebecka,living my best life in Denver, Colorado with my darling husband Blake. I’m a mother to five children, Gam Gam to seven priceless grandchildren and doggie mommy to two fur babies. My most notable wins are Food Network’s, Clash of the Grandmas and the title of BACON World Champion.

More about me →

Rebecka Evans-Freelance Writer at FYI50+ Magazine

World Food Championships FINAL TABLE

Sandwiches

  • Coffee Bacon BLT with Smokey Pimento Cheese Spread
  • Wakamatsu's Peachy Good Waffle Sandwich
  • Women's Auxiliary Luncheon Sandwich Loaf
  • Tonnino Tuna Salad

Trending Cakes

  • Strawberry Crème Custard Crinkle Cake
  • Strawberry Angel Food Cake
  • Lima Bean & Ham Stew with Sweet Cornbread Cake
  • The "Upside-Down" Pineapple Filled Jelly Roll

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2021 At Home with Rebecka