This Orecchiette Pasta with Prosciutto is extra flavorful and super simple to make. It’s a very versatile dish, and all it takes is less than 30 minutes.
Great as meal prep, perfect for reheating the next day
Key Ingredients
How to Make Orecchiette pasta Recipe
Step 1. Fill a large pot with water, bring to boil, cook pasta “al dente” following directions on the package.
Step 2. At the same time, while the pasta is cooking, dice onions, dice sun-dried tomato, using kitchen shears, slice meat.
Step 3. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, add diced onions, cook till brown and caramelized. Add sliced prosciutto and fry till brown and crispy—separate large pieces with a fork into smaller ones.
Step 4. Reduce the heat, add sun-dried tomatoes, pasta, arugula, salt, Italian seasoning, capers. Cook till arugula just wilted. Serve with grated cheese sprinkled on top.
Tips For Success
To avoid soggy pasta, don’t overcook pasta; boil till al dente.
For less-mess cooking and easier to stir, use a larger skillet.
When slicing Prosciutto, use kitchen shears to simplify the process.
For the best flavor, use quality olive oil.
When cooking Proscuitto, don’t drain the fat from the skillet. The fat will be important to the final flavor.
Arugula cooking tip. Once arugula is added to the skillet, cook until greens are just wilted but not overcooked. It should take 1-2 minutes or so.
Before serving, taste and adjust spices; add more salt and olive oil if needed.
If you have run out of the right spice, you can substitute it with Oregano seasoning.
To reheat later, heat the skillet with a small amount of water first, then add pasta, cover with the lid, and heat till warm for approximately 2-3 minutes.
Variations
try using different shapes of pasta
use spinach instead of arugula
instead of Proscuitto: try Italian ground sausage, bacon, ham, pancetta
instead of sun-dried tomatoes and capers, try marinated olives
add more veggies: sliced zucchini, bell pepper, broccoli, shaved Brussel sprouts, mushrooms, fresh peas
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is orecchiette?
Orechiette is the kind of Italian pasta that translates “little ears pasta.” It’s fun-sized small pasta made by pressing a thumb to create a shape that looks like a small shell or a small ear.
What pasta is closest to orecchiette?
The closest pasta similar to orecchiette will be shells, farfalle, fusilli.
This Orecchiette Pasta with Prosciutto is extra flavorful and super simple to make. It's a very versatile dish, and all it takes is less than 30 minutes.
Cook pasta. Fill a large pot with water, bring to boil, cook pasta "al dente" following directions on the package.
Prep ingredients. At the same time, while the pasta is cooking, dice onions, sun-dried tomato, using kitchen shears, slice meat.
Cook meat. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, add diced onions, cook till brown and caramelized. Add sliced prosciutto and fry till brown and crispy—separate large pieces with a fork into smaller ones.
Combine. Reduce the heat, add sun-dried tomatoes, pasta, arugula, salt and Italian seasoning, capers. Cook till arugula just wilted. Serve with grated cheese sprinkled on top.
Notes
To avoid soggy pasta, don’t overcook pasta; boil till al dente. For less mess cooking and easier to stir, use a larger skillet. When slicing Prosciutto, use kitchen shears to simplify the process.For the best flavor, use quality olive oil.When cooking Proscuitto, don’t drain the fat from the skillet. The fat will be important to the final flavor.Arugula cooking tip. Once arugula is added to the skillet, cook untill greens are just wilted but not overcooked. It should take 1-2 minutes or so.Before serving, taste and adjust spices; add more salt and olive oil if needed.If you have run out of the right spice, you can substitute Italian seasoning spice. To reheat later, heat the skillet with a small amount of water first, then add pasta, cover with the lid, and heat till warm for approximately 2-3 minutes.
Natalia is a recipe developer, food photographer, and home cook. She started Flavorful Home to document her recipes and share home cooking tips. She loves creating flavorful and nutritious meals while keeping the cooking process simple and joyful!
Get new recipes and tips via email when you subscribe!
Have a comment? I love hearing from you! Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked.
Welcome!
Hi there, I’m Natalia. I’m so glad you stopped by! Here you’ll find the most useful cooking tips and answers to food questions. I focus on creating simple recipes and making sure they are extra flavorful and worthy of your time! Browse our step-by-step recipes and explore new flavors!