Cavatelli Pasta Recipes

HOMEMADE CAVATELLI PASTA

Steps:

• Mix semolina flour and salt in a large bowl or on a marble work surface. Make a well in the center.
• Pour water into the well a little at a time, mixing it with the flour. Add as much water as needed to make a sticky but compact dough.
• Knead dough with your hands by flattening the ball, stretching it, and folding the top towards the center. Turn 45 degrees and repeat until dough is elastic and smooth, but not too soft, about 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using. If you are using the cavatelli within a few hours or the following day, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
• Work with one portion of the dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered to keep it from drying out. Dust a work surface with semolina flour; roll out the dough to make a rope, about 1/3 inch thick.
• Cut off little 1/3-inch-thick pieces. Press and gently drag the small piece of dough towards you with your index and middle finger. The two sides will curl inwards, leaving hollow spaces.
• Proceed the same way with the rest of the dough. Transfer cavatelli to a floured surface and sprinkle with more semolina flour. Do not overlap cavatelli or they will stick together. Let dry for about 30 minutes before cooking.

CAVATELLI PASTA RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the semolina flour on a work surface, make a well in the middle and sprinkle with salt.
• Add most of water into the well in the centre of the flour.
• Start combining water with the flour using your fingers or a fork. Pulling in the flour and forming a dough. Add more water if needed. The dough should feel soft and supple, a bit like playdough.
• Knead well for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic then form into a ball.
• Wrap with plastic and set aside for 30 minutes to rest.
• After 30 minutes, cut off ¼ of the dough. Rewrap the remaining dough.
• Roll the cut off portion of dough into a sausage shape. You shouldn't need any extra semolina/flour but if you do, use it sparingly.
• Continue rolling until you have a long rope about ½ inch ( or approx 1cm) in diameter. It may be easier to cut it in half and keep rolling to achieve this thickness.
• Cut the rope into ¾-1 inch (2-2.5cm) lengths.
• Using two fingers (the index and the middle finger), press firmly onto each piece of dough and drag towards you creating a curl and an indentation.
• Place in a single layer and not touching on parchment (baking) paper that has been dusted with semolina/flour.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes. This will depend on the size of the cavatelli. Taste after 5 minutes and cook longer if needed. Cooking may be even longer than 10 minutes if you have made larger cavatelli.
• Serve with your favorite sauce.

POTATO CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Boil potatoes unpeeled and send through a ricer to make 2 cups. Alternately, peel and boil, then mash. Mix in butter and milk. Let cool.
• In a sturdy bowl, using a stand mixer with a dough hook, or a wooden spoon or your hands, mix potatoes, oil, salt and eggs until smooth. Work in 2 cups flour, gradually adding more until dough is stiff and not sticky. (The amount of flour needed can vary greatly.)
• Pinch off a ball of dough, roll into a rope about an inch in diameter and cut into 3/4-inch dumplings. On a floured surface, press your thumb against the cut side of each dumpling and press down and away, so the dough flattens and flips up over your thumb. The result should look like a miniature hot dog bun.
• In boiling salted water, cook cavatelli, stirring once or twice as soon as you put them in, for about 5 minutes or until they rise to the top. Alternately, put them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then store in the freezer in a plastic bag. Dumplings will take about 10 to 12 minutes to cook. Top with tomato sauce, pesto or butter and Parmesan.

HOMEMADE CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Mix together flours and salt on a clean surface, make a well in center, and gradually add 1/2 cup water and oil, working flours into center until a dough forms. (If dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Knead dough until smooth and it springs back when gently pressed, about 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic.
• Sprinkle 2 rimmed baking sheets with semolina flour. Divide dough into 8 pieces; keep covered with plastic wrap. Roll one piece at a time into a long rope, about 1/3 inch in diameter, then cut rope into 1/3-inch-long pieces. Using tips of index and middle fingers, firmly press each piece and pull dough toward you so it lengthens slightly and forms a curl in the middle. Transfer pieces to baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Cavatelli can be refrigerated, covered, up to 4 hours. (Or freeze on sheet; once firm, transfer to a resealable bag and freeze up to 3 months. There's no need to thaw before cooking.)

CAVATINI PASTA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onions and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the water, tomato paste, mushrooms, pepperoni, sauce mix and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour., Meanwhile, for pasta, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add macaroni and pastas. Return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until tender; drain. Stir into tomato sauce. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish (dish will be full)., Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

CAVATELLI AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling water, blanch broccoli for about 5 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until lightly golden, being careful not to burn it. Add the broccoli. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Broccoli should be tender yet crisp to the bite.
• Meanwhile, cook cavatelli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and place in a large serving bowl. Toss with the broccoli, and season with salt and hot pepper flakes. Serve with parmesan cheese.

BAKED CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
• In a large skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is brown; remove from skillet. Drain.
• In a large bowl stir together pasta sauce, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and the pepper. Add the cooked pasta and the drained sausage mixture. Stir gently to combine. Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole.*.
• Bake, covered, in a 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until nearly heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.
• My card says it feeds 5 to 6, and I say a family of four -- and a sad ol'doggie -- for licking the casserole dish clean -- .

CAVATELLI PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook pasta until al dente in a pot of boiling, salted water.
• Heat the marinara sauce in a large saucepan. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce. Set aside about 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan. To the sauce, add the ricotta and remaining Parmesan and stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and the butter and toss well. Top with the reserved marinara and mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Garnish with fresh basil.

RICOTTA CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Combine the ricotta, eggs and salt in a large bowl, then stir into the flour. Gently combine with your hands to bring together into a dough. Knead the dough together, adding additional flour until the dough is firm and not sticky. Tightly wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Cut the dough into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time, roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into a 1/4-inch-thick rope. With a knife, cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces. Use a bench scraper or your index and third fingers held together to gently press down on each piece, beginning at the top and moving down toward the bottom, dragging the bench scraper toward you and causing the pasta to roll over on itself. Transfer the formed pasta to a lightly-floured baking sheet and let dry at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (At this point, the pasta can be frozen in a single layer and stored in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer.)
• Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until the cavatelli are al dente and begin to float to the top, 3 to 5 minutes.