Homemade Cavatelli Recipe
The easiest homemade pasta you'll ever make, no pasta machine necessary. Follow my step by step recipe on how to make cavatelli with only 2 ingredients!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 378kcal
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups semolina flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1- 1 1/4 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Place the semolina flour in a bowl or in a mound directly on your work surface. I prefer starting off my dough in a bowl and once the dough starts to take shape, I transfer it to my counter in order to knead it. Stir salt into the flour.
- Make a well in the center of the semolina and pour in 1 cup of the boiled water.
- Use a fork or wooden spoon to begin combining the semolina flour with the water. Use your hands to gather the crumbly bits to shape into a dough. The dough will be very crumbly and grainy, this is normal!
- Transfer to a clean work surface and knead until a smooth dough is formed. This will take about 5 minutes. The dough must neither be sticky nor too dry. It should feel slightly tacky. If it is too dry, add a spoonful of the remaining boiled water at a time, as needed. Wrap in plastic wrap and set on your counter to rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces. I find it easier to roll a smaller portion of dough at a time.
- Roll into a long rope of about 1/2 cm in diameter. Place your hands in the center of the piece of dough and roll by applying pressure outward to lengthen the rope. Do not add extra flour to your work surface.
- Cut into approximate 2 cm pieces. Roll either using a gnocchi board or with your index and third finger to form an indentation in the dough.
- Place in a single layer on a parchment paper or clean dish towel covered baking sheets.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. The cooking time may vary according to the thickness of your pasta. Mine took about 3 minutes to cook.
- Serve with your favorite sauce.
Notes
- Cavatelli made with semolina flour tend to be more chewy than other types of pasta. For best results, do roll the ropes of dough as thin as possible. Also, when rolling the individual cavatelli either with your fingertips or gnocchi board, do press down and make as deep an indentation as possible.
- Cavatelli can be made with semolina flour only; a combination of semolina and all-purpose flour; or only all-purpose flour.
- This recipe can be easily doubled to feed a larger crowd.
- Cooking time may vary according to the thickness of your cavatelli.
- Cavatelli can be frozen: place baking sheets with cavatelli in the freezer until they are firm. Transfer to well sealed freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Frozen cavatelli will take a few minutes longer to cook.
Nutrition
Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 4g | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 5mg