Anna's Orecchiette

Directions

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the two eggs to get a soft ball of dough; add more flour if necessary. Mix a tiny bit of water with the remaining flour and combine the two balls of dough, kneading well. No salt is added, since this makes the dough more difficult to shape. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.
2. Break off egg-sized pieces of dough and roll under the palms of your hands to make a rope about 1/2-inch thick. Cut the rope into 3/4-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough under the tip of your thumb. This will make the dough form a sort of cap over the end of your thumb. Turn the cap inside out as you remove it from your thumb and put the orecchiette on a floured towel while you form the rest of them. Let the formed orecchiette rest for about a half hour before cooking them.
3. Fresh orecchiette cook very quickly. Add them to a pot of salted boiling water and check for doneness after just a couple of minutes. You want them to be al dente so they will keep their shape and capture the sauce in the curve of the pasta. Drain them well when done and put them back into the pasta pot. Ladle in tomato sauce from the pot where the meat was cooked and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately with extra grated Parmigiano cheese on the side.
4. As featured in episode 2518