Cavatappi With Sugo And Meatballs Recipes

CAVATELLI ALLA VODKA

Steps:

• Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and butter and cook until foaming. Add the onions, season with a little salt and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the crushed red pepper, garlic and some salt and pepper. Cook for 15 more seconds. Add the vodka and deglaze the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer until the alcohol smell subsides, then add the cream. Let it cook down until it is slightly reduced and flavorful, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta to al dente, 4 to 5 minutes for fresh, or according to the package instructions.
• Toss the sauce with the hot pasta and garnish with fresh basil and grated Parm. Serve with a crusty hunk of Italian bread.
• Combine the 00 and semolina flours with the salt on a clean working surface, form into a mound and make a well in the center. Combine the water, olive oil and salt and add the mixture a little at a time (see Cook's Note). Using a fork, start to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until a shaggy mass forms. Knead vigorously until the dough is smooth, elastic and bounces back when pressed, about 10 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half and work with one piece at a time (cover the other piece with a clean, damp kitchen towel). Using a bench scraper or knife, cut a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it into a thin rope about 1/3 inch in diameter. Using the 4 fingers of your hand (no thumb), roll the rope of dough back and forth until it is a long, slender, tube-like shape (but not enclosed like a tube). Halve the pieces of pasta lengthwise. Set aside on a clean town sprinkled with semolina flour. Repeat with the remaining dough. Rest the pasta for 30 minutes.
• To cook, generously salt a large pot of boiling water. Add the cavatelli and cook until al dente, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and use with your sauce recipe of choice.

BAKED CAVATAPPI WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 2 minutes less than the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, cook the sausage in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove to a plate using a slotted spoon.
• Heat 1 more tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and herbes de Provence and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, sausage and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more cooking water. Stir the pasta into the sauce.
• Whisk the ricotta, 1/4 cup cheese blend, the lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and 3 tablespoons cooking water in a bowl. Layer half of the pasta and ricotta mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish, then top with the remaining pasta, ricotta mixture and cheese blend. Bake until bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Toss the lettuce with the lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Serve with the pasta.

CAVATAPPI WITH SUGO AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• Cook cavatappi in a large pot of boiling, salted water until slightly underdone, 8 to 9 minutes (always a bit less than package directions). While the pasta is cooking, pour the sugo in the skillet and heat it slowly. Butter the bottom and sides of the baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
• Drain the cooked cavatappi in a colander, shake off excess water, and dump it into the pan. Toss pasta and sauce briefly until coated, then fold in the meatball slices for a minute or so to heat them.
• Turn off the heat, sprinkle on 2/3 cup of the grated cheese and 1 cup of the shredded cheese, and fold in. Drop the remaining butter in bits on the pasta, fold in quickly, and turn everything into the baking dish.
• Spread the pasta level in the dish; sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese all over and then the remaining grated cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the top is crusty and nicely colored.

CREAMY CAVATAPPI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook cavatappi according to package directions., Meanwhile, saute garlic in butter in a Dutch oven. Stir in flour and pepper sauce until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes., Stir in cheeses until melted; add green onions. Drain cavatappi; stir into cheese mixture., Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs, bacon and melted butter; sprinkle over top., Bake, uncovered, at 350° until bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with green onion and, if desired, pepper.

EASY CHILI CAVATAPPI

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large pot; add salt. Pour cavatappi into the boiling water and cook until tender but firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes; drain and rinse cavatappi.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic in the hot oil until onion is softened and transparent, 5 to 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir ground beef into onion mixture. Cook and stir until ground beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain excess grease and return skillet to heat.
• Mix tomato sauce, chili powder, and cumin into ground beef mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato sauce is heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir cavatappi into meat sauce until evenly coated; add black beans and pepper. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until flavors have blended, about 5 minutes.