Orecchiette with Pork Belly Sausage and Spring Vegetables

         

          Visitors to Puglia elude Bari. They might of heard that Bari is unsafe, that no one should ever go into the old part of town dubbed "Bari Vecchio". For the food lover, the most seductive part of Bari Vecchio is the "Quartiere delle Orecchiette." It is two short alleys lined with women seated outside their houses making Orecchiette, the way their mothers and grandmothers made it. And its not to be overlooked.

          If I had an Italian Grandmother from Puglia, and she were to come to visit me in California, then I would like to fancy that this is a dish that she would cook for me. You see... Italian food is all about using the abundance around you. And California has a profuseness amount of produce to choose from. The humble beginnings of Orecchiette or “Little Ears” started during medieval times. The peasants only consumed pasta twice a year, Christmas and Easter. The nobles would allow them to sweep up the burnt wheat “Farina Arsa” from the floor of the mill, and they would mix this with pure flour to stretch the dough. Orecchiette was created during this time. And the rare flour to America “Farina Arsa” is still used in parts of Puglia.

           My Interpretation is roused by the bounty of green vegetables we gather in the spring from the farmers markets in southern California along with the Orecchiette which is the star of the show. They pair so perfect with sausage and chopped rapini because of their similarity in size. 

           While dining at a local dim sum restaurant in Orange County we were introduced to Pea Tendrils sauteed in garlic. And when I say introduced I mean the use of cooking the pea tendrils with the stems on. You see in all of the fine dining and fussy restaurants i have worked in, we would take the leaves off the stem. It is so natural and unpretentious to leave them on the stem. That was my Italian minded motive to serve them with this shape of pasta. ENJOY !!!

The digital video is designed for you to work through the dish on your handheld media device. 

For the Semolina Pasta Dough you will need:

4 1/4 Cups of Fancy Durum Wheat Flour (Semolina)

1 1/4 Cups of Water

          

         Combine the semolina flour and water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Turn off the mixer and remove the paddle attachment, and replace it with the dough hook on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a flour dusted work surface and knead for 20 to 25 minutes until smooth and silky. Wrap in plastic and let sit for 1 hour in the refrigerator. 

         Roll the pasta into thin logs. Cut with a knife into like size small pieces. With the back of the knife press the dough into the cutting board and smear the dough which will create the desired tearing effect on the surface. Wrap around your thumb and pinch.  

You will also need for this recipe:

1 1/4 # of Pork Shoulder Butt

1/1/4 # of Pork Belly

2 Calabrian Chilis

1 Tablespoon of Salt

1 Tablespoon of Sugar

1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of Black Peppercorns

2 each Calabrian Chili’s (Tutto Calabria Brand) or you 

can use 1 each Red Fresno Chili

12 garlic cloves

1 Sweet Onion

1 Carrot

1 medium sized Fennel

3 Pieces of Green Onion

1 tablespoon of fresh mint

4 tablespoons of Butter

1 to 2 cups of chicken stock

1/4 pound of pea tenrils

Brioche or Challah for Breadcrumbs

Finishing Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A chunk of Parmesan

1 Meyer Lemon or Regular Lemon

1 cup of sugar snaps sliced

1/2 pound of fresh fava beans