Homemade Orecchiette with Chickpeas - Festa Italiana!

Maryanne of Finding La Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook are hosting the Second Annual Festa Italiana! As a Trinitalian (Trinidadian and Italian) girl, I love to embrace both sides of my culture! I grew up in an extremely Italian neighborhood on Long Island, where you could enter any store (most of which are Mom and Pop places) and be transported right to Italy - meaning that more people were speaking Italian than English.  And I loved every second of it!  Every name in my high school yearbook ends in a vowel, and there were tons of Giuseppes, Antonellas, and Giovannis. I always look forward to heading back to Franklin Square to visit my parents and head into the La Bottega, Carmelas, Cafe Frosinone, Monreale Bakery, Maria's Deli, Romeo's Pizzeria... you get the point.

So thanks to Maryanne and Marie for bringing a little piece of Italy to the blog world!

I was inspired to make fresh pasta after dining at our friend's apartment. There, they rolled out deliciously light tagliatelli noodles with ease as I watched (and sometimes lent a hand, if by lending a hand you mean ruining each sheet of pasta I ran through the machine, which went in smoothly on one end and came out looking light shredded wheat), aching for a pasta machine so that I, too, may make pasta at home.  The flavor just doesn't compare. Softer and richer, the noodles are a nice welcome to their starchy boxed counterparts. But alas, I do not have the sufficient equipment.

Well,  I am now proud to say that I am a pasta MACHINE! Not literally, as I don't cost $89.00.  I'd hope to think I'd reel in a bit more than that at Sur La Table.

Making homemade orrecchiette is surprisingly easy. Semolina flour, water and salt. That's it. Even vegans would eat this pasta.

This got me thinking. Do vegans eat pasta?  Because there are eggs in the dough. Ponder that.

......................

The chickpeas are complimented well by the soft, light texture and fresh taste of the tomatoes, and the flavor is finished with a subtle kick from the red pepper flakes. The flavors are earthy, yet light, complex yet simple.  And of course, nothing beats fresh pasta.

Click here for the recipe.  Both Jack and I agree, this is one of the best things we have ever eaten... and it only gets better as you eat it.

Comments

[Megan]

Rock on girl! Making pasta is on my to-do list, in fact I was staring at a bag of semolina flour today. But..........I didn't buy it. Maybe tomorrow.....

[Wendy]

Awesome! Homemade pasta is on my list of things to attempt. It looks very delicious.

Not all pasta is made with eggs. Vegans would just eat the kind made without eggs. Most regular store-bought pasta doesn't have eggs.

[Maryann]

Wonderful! You did a great job on this dish! Thanks for joining the festa!
Maryann xox

[Marie]

Your homemade pasta will sure be a hit at the festa! Thanks so much for joining us Teanna!

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The flavor just doesn't compare. Softer and richer, the noodles are a nice welcome to their starchy boxed counterparts. But alas, I do not have the sufficient equipment.

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I would like to serve this to my family for a dinner get together.

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Its a very nice dish and I hope it is very testy but I don't prefer home-made dishes.I like to eat only market dishes...

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Hey I love this dish and I will cook on Sunday and serve my family,thanks to share the sweet recipe with me.......

[Michele]

Hi Teana, I made this recipe and linked to your blog. http://myitaliangrandmother.blogspot.com/2011/07/orechiette-with-chickpeas.html

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Hi
HOMEMADE ORECCHIETTE WITH CHICKPEAS - FESTA ITALIANA!
i would like to say thank you about this cool post,and this idea very helpful to me,
Thank You