Fresh pasta shaped like a small concave dome, typical of Puglia — the heel of Italy's boot. The name comes from the resemblance to a tiny ear. The rough texture is the whole point: it traps sauce like nothing else.

• Origin: Valle d'Itria, Puglia — 12th century
• Ingredients: 2. Yes, only two.
• Time: 1 hour, including dough rest
• Cost: roughly €1 per person at home
• IGP protected: yes — "Orecchiette tipiche di Bari"

1. The dough — 15 minutes

Make a volcano of semolina on the counter. Add salt and warm water in the centre. Pull the flour into the water with a fork until you can knead by hand. Knead for 10 minutes. The dough should feel hard. Do not add more water no matter how much you want to. Form a ball, cover with a damp cloth, rest for 20 minutes.

One dish defines Puglia: orecchiette con cime di rapa. Cime di rapa is turnip greens — bitter, slightly mustardy, in season from October to March. The technique:

• Blanch the cime di rapa in salted water for 4 minutes. Don't discard the water.
• Use the same water to boil the orecchiette (about 8 minutes for fresh).
• Meanwhile, fry 2 garlic cloves and 4 anchovy fillets in olive oil. Add a chilli if you like.
• Toss everything together with the drained greens and a handful of toasted breadcrumbs.

No cheese. No cream. The bitterness of the rapa, the salt of the anchovy, the rough pasta. That's the whole composition.