17 Orecchiette Pasta Recipes For a Fun Dinner

Try something new and pep up your daily meals with these orecchiette pasta recipes!

Swap out your everyday penne or spaghetti for a pasta shape that’s a little more exciting. 

Orecchiette literally translates as “little ears” in Italian. It’s a small ear-shaped pasta that works wonderfully with sauces.

Their small cup shape scoops up extra flavor in each and every bite.

The beauty of orecchiette is its ability to be dressed up or down.

Serve it with a hearty Bolognese as a casual family dinner. Or even with chicken in a creamy rosemary lemon sauce for a fancy date night.

Whatever the occasion, you’ll find one of these orecchiette pasta recipes that fits!

1.  Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli

Looking for a meal the whole family will love? This dish will leave everyone feeling happy and satisfied.

This dish is packed with flavor. From the meaty sausage to the tender broccoli stems, there’s so much deliciousness to get stuck into.

The wonderful, indented shape of the orecchiette perfectly captures the sausage meat. Delish!

2. Orecchiette Sausage Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Nothing hits the spot like hearty pasta that’s smothered in a creamy, dreamy sauce. This dish is a decadent delight. 

Orecchiette solves that messy, sauce-splattering nature of stringy pastas. Simply scoop these little cups up, and boom. No mess, just deliciousness. 

Plus, little bits of sausage perfectly nestle in those little cups. So, sign me up!

3. Orecchiette With Cauliflower And Pine Nuts

Meatless Monday has never tasted so good! And it’s all thanks to this scrumptious dish. 

This satisfying vegetarian pasta dish is always a hit. Even the biggest meat-lovers can’t resist its toasted, tasty flavors.

Tender, browned cauliflower is tossed with toasted breadcrumbs and pine nuts. This satisfying meat-free meal makes for the perfect lunch or light dinner. 

4. Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe

I love making this orecchiette with broccoli rabe on a cold winter night. It’s hearty, filling, and packed with intense flavors.

Broccoli rabe, caramelized onions, and sun-dried tomatoes are tossed with orecchiette. It’s the perfect lunch!

Honestly, this pasta is so delicious every time I make it, it never even reaches the bowl. I just eat it off the stovetop. There’s no time for waiting when food is this good. 

5. Classic Minestrone Soup

Is there anything more comforting than a hearty bowl of warming minestrone soup? The only thing that could possibly make it better is orecchiette.

The lovely little bowl shape of this pasta is the perfect way to shovel in the delicious minestrone soup. Every bite is a blast of flavor.

This classic soup is healthy, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. 

6. Orecchiette Pasta Salad with Herb Vinaigrette

Salads don’t have to be boring! This dish is a zesty delight.

Orecchiette pasta is tossed with tomatoes, mozzarella, and herb red wine dressing. This is the perfect pasta side salad for all kinds of dishes. It’s brimming with Caprese flavors.

Served hot or cold, it’s delicious either way. 

7. Orecchiette Pasta with Beef and Peas

If you need dinner on the table in under 30 minutes, this dish is for you.

This Korean fusion recipe is a spicy twist on a pasta and peas classic. Instead of a traditional tomato sauce, this recipe uses tomato paste with gochujang (fermented chili paste). 

You can make this dish even easier by using frozen peas. They’re super budget-friendly too!

8. Orecchiette Bolognese

Not much beats a big bowl of hearty Bolognese. It’s deliciously savory, homey, and the ultimate comfort food.

Orecchiette acts as the perfect pasta vessel to scoop up all that yummy, meaty sauce. 

This Bolognese sauce is made even more flavorful with a combo of spicy Italian sausage and ground beef. You’re going to want seconds of this dish!

9. Orecchiette Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes (Con Pomodori al Forno)

Brimming with red, yellow, and orange cherry tomatoes, this pasta dish screams summer. It truly is love at first bite!

This Italian orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes comes from Bari in Puglia. The key is to use fresh produce. So, if you have them, homegrown cherry tomatoes are superb.

Roasting those cherry tomatoes gives this dish so much flavor. Way more than a frying one ever could.

10. Orecchiette with White Beans, Tomatoes, and Olives

Take a trip to Greece through this Mediterranean flavor-packed dish! It’s the perfect dinner for busy weeknights.

This is a fantastic pasta dish to whip up when you’re short on time. It uses up basic pantry ingredients and only takes 25 minutes to make. 

White beans add a superb amount of plant-based protein. Satisfying, healthy, and delicious – it’s perfection!

11. Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Sauce

Fancy a traditional Tuscan pasta? This dish comes straight from the kitchens of Italy. 

Broccoli is cooked down until it essentially melts its way into the sauce. This creates the most amazing, green, creamy, and luscious sauce.

It’s flavored with chili flakes, garlic, shallots, and surprisingly; miso paste. If you’re not vegetarian, you can always add a little anchovy paste for extra flavor. Delizioso!

12. Buttery Orecchiette with Crispy Pancetta and Peas

It’s time to add a new pasta recipe to your rotation! Look no further than this buttery dish.  

This dish is packed with crunchy breadcrumbs, crispy pancetta, and the sweet pop of peas.  

Brighten up your dinners with this dish or impress your guests at your next dinner party. It always steals the show. 

13. Bruschetta Pasta Salad

Can’t choose between bruschetta and pasta? Why not enjoy the great flavors of both in one dish? 

This bruschetta pasta is brimming with all the goodness of your favorite appetizer. But with orecchiette pasta in the mix! 

Simple, fresh, and delicious, it’s everything you could want under the summer sun. 

14. Mediterranean Chicken with Pasta

This Mediterranean pasta is great for when you don’t have much time on your hands.

You don’t have to turn to takeout. You can have this tasty home-cooked meal on the table in 30 minutes.

Balsamic vinegar and feta cheese add a wonderful tang to every bite of this speedy dish. So, not only is it quick and easy, but it’s also super tasty too.

If you have frozen chicken in the freezer, whip it out and get to grilling! 

15. Orecchiette Pasta with Chicken in a Creamy Rosemary Lemon Sauce

Orecchiette is the perfect pasta type for this creamy sauce. They essentially act like mini soup bowls, catching all the saucy goodness for you to enjoy in every bite.

This dish is also, surprisingly, cream-free. Instead, you use olive oil, 1% milk, and a touch of flour to get the saucy consistency everyone craves. 

Chunks of chicken add the protein bulk you need to complete this decadent pasta dish. Grab the forks (or spoons) and get stuck in!

16. Orecchiette with Nduja and Eggplant (Aubergine)

Spice lovers, this one’s for you. If you’re craving pasta that packs a punch, this dish brings the heat.

Nduja is a type of salami from Calabria, in Southern Italy. So, of course, it adds so much flavor to every element of this tasty pasta dish. 

You can thank the pepperoncino (Italian red chili pepper) in the nduja for that spice. 

17. Creamy Lemon Corn Orecchiette with Basil Pesto

Summertime always calls for bright and vibrant pasta dishes. And this dish certainly brings the sunshine!

Tantalize your taste buds with the zesty and bright flavors of this delicious dish. Full of dazzling yellow colors, it’s basically sunshine in a bowl.

Sweet corn and basil are tossed together in a light lemony sauce that’s flavored with a touch of garlic. Simply delicious.