Word for Wednesday: Orecchiette

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Our Word for Wednesday theme for April is pasta. 

Made from a durum wheat dough which is shaped and boiled, pasta dishes originate in Italy and are now enjoyed all over the world. Though the word pasta has been used in English since 1874, it didn't become common until after the second world war. The literal translation of the Italian word pasta is ‘paste’. 

Over April, we’ve looked at the words spaghetti, pappardelle and farfalle. Our final word of the month is orecchiette. 

Orecchiette come from Apulia in Southern Italy. Made from durum wheat and water, this type of pasta is dome-shaped with a thin centre and thicker outer edge. In traditional home cooking, each piece is shaped by pressing it over the thumb. 

Like with the types of pasta we’ve looked at this month, orecchiette get their name from their shape. In Italian, the word literally means ‘little ears’. 


27 Apr 2022
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