Orecchiette alle cime di rapa

Orecchiette are made only with durum wheat semolina and water. The dough is rolled into ropes, cut into small pieces, and dragged with the tip of a knife across a wooden board; each piece is then turned over the thumb, forming a rough-surfaced little shell that resembles a small ear. The coarse texture holds the sauce well.

In the most traditional dish, the orecchiette are cooked in the same water as the cime di rapa — the leaves, stems, and flowering shoots of a type of turnip with a slightly bitter taste. Once drained, they go into a skillet with olive oil in which garlic, anchovy fillets, and chili have been browned. Some people sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs on top. Another Bari version uses tomato sauce and strong ricotta.

In Bari’s old town, on Strada Arco Basso — nicknamed the street of the orecchiette — women sit outside their homes and make the pasta by hand on wooden tables for much of the day, selling orecchiette that dry on racks. It’s one of the scenes most associated with the city.

Orecchiette with cime di rapa are considered the emblematic dish of Apulia, and cime di rapa are typically in season from October to April.