Description: Cavatelli come in a few sizes and shapes. You can find them rolled on a gnocchi board to give them ridges or more rounded like the recipe here. Whether to use ridges or not comes down to the sauce.
Dough: Semolina Dough
Region: Southern Italy (Puglia, Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily)
Traditional Sauce: WIth meat or vegetables, typically with peas or broccoli.
Check out our Pancetta and Pea Cavatelli recipe here!
For portioning I do 100g of flour per person.
Homemade Cavatelli
Description
Homemade cavatelli made with a semolina pasta dough.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Prepare the pasta dough
Weigh out your flour and water, making sure the water is very warm. I aim for around 90-100 degrees F. Mix together in a bowl into a shaggy dough starts to form.
See link in the description for more details on making the dough. -
Knead the dough
Dump on a counter or wooden board and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be very elastic and spring back when touched and almost feel like playdough (see notes below). Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
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Roll out the dough
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. While working with one piece at a time keep the rest covered with a damp kitchen towel to avoid the dough from drying out.
Roll the dough into a snake around 1/2" diameter. With a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into 1/4" pieces depending on the final size you would like.
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Shaping the Cavatelli
Place your thumb on the dough and drag width wise forming the shape.
It is best to shape the dough on a wood surface such as a cutting board. The wood allows just the right amount of friction. The dough would just slide across a marble counter.
See gallery for detailed pictures. -
Drying and Cooking
You can either cook the orecchiette fresh or dry it.
Fresh: Cook the cavatelli for around 5 minutes in heavily salted boiling water.
Dried: Let try completely for several hours or overnight. Depending on the humidity it may take upto a full day or more. Cook for 12-15 minutes in in heavily salted boiling water. Due to their shape and density they take much longer to cook dried. They should be al-dente but not hard in the middle.
Haven’t tried this recipe yet. Would like to know if the dough can be made in Kitchenaid with dough hook either all the way or partially before kneading by hand. Thank you!
Great question! I have started in the Kitchenaid with the paddle attachment then transferred to the counter to finish. You could though start with the paddle then once the dough starts to form switch to the dough hook and knead for a couple minutes.
Marc two questions.
First question: I see you use Caputo Semolina. Is there a specific reason for using this brand? I have been using either Bellino brand or Bob’s Red Barn Semolina when I make your extruder pasta.
Second question: Can I make this Cavatelli recipe ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to cook?
Thank you!
Great questions! I like Caputo because it is double milled (rimacinata) which makes the dough easy to knead and has a good texture. Bellino and Bob’s Red Barn are not double milled and a coarse grind. You could certainly use this for hand shaped pasta, but it may take a but more work to knead. I would freeze it instead of putting it in the refrigerator, which tends to dry the dough out too much. It depends how far in advance you want to make it though. You can certainly leave it at room temperature for at least a day to dry.
Thank you Marc! Instead of refrigerating the dough, could I make the Cavatelli and refrigerate them over night before cooking? I assume I could also freeze them for a later time?
Love your pasta dough recipes. All the ones I have used so far are the best I have found.
Thank you for the kind words on the recipes! I would avoid putting them in the fridge. I find they can get either dried out or wet if covered. With this dough, the shaped pasta can be left at room temperature uncovered for a day. If you are not going to use within a day, or need space, freezing would be best. That is not to say you cannot put it in the refrigerator, it may just alter the texture a bit.