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Orecchiette pasta with Prosciutto


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.

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tow white serving bowls filled with pasta, cooked meat and greens

Recipe Features

  • Quick family-friendly meal made under 30 mins
  • Hearty comfort food recipe with many variations
  • Great as meal prep, perfect for reheating the next day

Key Ingredients

white table top with ingredients: shell pasta, onion, capers, sun-dried tomato, arugula, grated cheese, spices

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. 

cooked small shells pasta in the colander

Step 2. At the same time, while the pasta is cooking, dice onions, dice sun-dried tomato, using kitchen shears, slice meat.

cutting board with sliced onion, sun-dried tomatoes, prosciutto

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. 

cast iron skillet with cooked prosciutto and onions

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.  

cast iron skillet with cooked pasta, meat slices and greens

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.
two white bowls served with pasta shells, capers and cooked prosciutto pieces

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.

More Pasta recipes

Did you try this recipe? I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to rate and leave a comment below.

two bowls filled with shell-shaped pasta, greens and pieces of meat

Orecchiette pasta with Prosciutto

Natalia-Flavorful Home
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.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces Orecchiette pasta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (plus more if needed)
  • 1 sweet onion medium-sized
  • 6 ounces Prosciutto thin-sliced
  • 1/4 cup Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil diced
  • 3 cups arugula
  • 1/2 cup capers drained
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup grated cheese of your choice, to serve

Instructions
 

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 483kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 17gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 924mgPotassium: 475mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 509IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 198mgIron: 2mg
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Natalia | Flavorful home
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!
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