We are used to thinking of orecchiette pasta as coming from Puglia, in the South of Italy – perhaps the recipe that combines it with turnips comes to mind – but it’s also a very popular pasta in Basilicata, too!
In fact, orecchiette materane are one of the typical first courses you find across Lucania; it’s ideal for a Sunday lunch and the dish features a strong, deliciously rustic flavor. Baked in an oven – with a lamb sauce, mozzarella and pecorino cheese. What could be better?
It’s tradition to make the orecchiete homemade, but if you don’t have time (or you simply don’t want to make them), you can get a pack of fresh pasta at the supermarket for equally great results.
The Recipe: Baked Orecchiette Materane with Lamb Sauce
Orecchiette ingredients:
1 lb fresh orecchiette pasta, 9 oz ground lamb meat, 1 lb tomatoes for the sauce, 2 packages mozzarella cheese, 7 oz pecorino cheese, Extra-virgin olive oil, Salt
How to make orecchiette:
If you use select fresh ready-made pasta, it’s very important that the sauce taste extra-good. Cut the meat into small pieces and brown it in a pot with extra-virgin olive oil. Once the meat is well-browned, add the tomatoes (well-washed, seeds removed and without the skin). The lamb meat sauce should simmer over low heat for about an hour, adding cooking water as needed from time to time – so that the sauce doesn’t dry out. When the sauce is ready, boil the orecchiette in plenty of salted water. Drain them al dente and transfer to an ovenproof dish, alternating the pasta with layers of mozzarella and pecorino cheese. Finish with plenty of pecorino cheese and put in the oven for 20 minutes at 350°F.
Meatball sauce
Orecchiette materane can also be made with a pork meatball sauce instead!
Provola instead of mozzarella
A tasty variation of Orecchiette Materane: use smoked provola cheese instead of mozzarella!
Cavatelli pasta
Instead of orecchiette, you can also use cavatelli – another kind of pasta typical to the same area (Basilicata).