Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa: Puglia's Signature Pasta Dish

“Little ears with turnip tops” — orecchiette con cime di rapa — probably don’t sound particularly appetizing. Yet this exemplary Pugliese classic of cucina povera now shows up on the menus of high-end restaurants and cafés everywhere. It’s also an excellent and beginner-friendly dish to try making at home. A specialty of Bari, the regional capital, traditional orecchiette are not only celebrated in domestic kitchens and around chef’s tables. Tunnel-like streets like the famed Str