Vegan & Gluten Free Orechiette

Wow- that was quite the grocery shopping adventure.  I think Ryan and I just set a new all time record of how many stores we had to go to for certain items.  We successfully hit 5 different markets in about 2.5 hours.  With that said, I don't think we will be needing to go to the store for some time.  I may even dare to say that we over did it.  Oooops.  Our refrigerator is literally jammed packed with fruits and veggies.  It kind of makes me smile though.

Homemade orechiette has been on my to do list for about a month now.  It is time consuming, so it was perfect to make on my day off.  I think making the dough and forming the pastas took roughly 1.5-2 hours.  So, make sure you have some time laid out to complete them!

So, instead of using semolina flour, which is typically used in pasta making, I used Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo Fava Flour.   Not only does this make it gluten free, but is also high in protein, providing 6 grahams per serving.

Vegan & Gluten Free Orechiette

Ingredients:

2 c chickpea flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c warm water
2 tbsp evoo

***note add a bit more water if dough is too dry.  add about 1 tbsp at a time while forming dough***

Combine the chickpea flour and salt.  Using a clean cutting board, place chickpea flour on it and create a well....meaning, create a little hole where you are going to add in the liquids.
Slowly pour in evoo and warm water and quickly begin to combine with hands.  As you can see, the liquid will begin to escape if you wait too long....sneaky little guys!

Continue combining with your hands.  This is where you will notice if you need to add more water or not.  Do this for about 5 minutes or until all the flour and water are combined nicely and your dough is not too dry and grainy.  Form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.

Allow the dough to sit for about about 30 minutes.  After that time, the dough should be nice and shiny and have a good elasticity to it.  Now it's time for your exercise!  Knead the dough for about ten minutes.  Put your body into it!  My massage therapy skills really definitely came in handy here.

Once done, divide the dough into about 5-6 sections.  Roll each section into a nice tube about 1/2 inch thick.  Using a sharp knife, cut tube into 1/4 inch discs.

Now it is time to shape those little ears.  Oh right, orechiette in Italian literally translates to "small ears".  orecchio (ear) + etto (small)....a little food for thought.
With a small butter knife, press down on each little disc, and then, with your thumb gently press the dough over, creating an ear shape.

That is the time consuming part.  But once you are done, it is like magic.  A feeling of true accomplishment.  You can either boil them right away and serve with your favorite sauce or freeze them.  I would recommend that if you freeze them, eat within 2 months.

To cook, bring salted water to a boil and cook for just 2-3 minutes.  You will know they are done because they will rise to the top.