Cavatelli
Makes 8 servings for a pasta course, or 4 servings for an entrée.
Some folks call these little pasta morsels, Gnocchi (pronounced nio'-key), but those that grew up making them with their Italian grandmothers, call them Cavatelli, since the little indentation in each, reminds one of little hollows or caves. Some Gnocchi is made with mashed potatoes, but this recipe, hailing from the Italian Island of Ischia, is made with Ricotta cheese. It's the perfect recipe to make with children of all ages. Make the dough up with everyone taking a turn kneading it, then sit around the kitchen table, with super clean hands, making up the pasta. It's almost like playing with Play-Doh! Shaped like little caves, the pasta holds sauce nicely. We've tried it with high-end store-bought red pasta sauce, and Vodka sauce, and love both. It has a totally different texture than store-bought, dry pasta and can easily be a meal on its own, but Italians call it il Primo and often serve it as a first course.
Ingredients
| 1 lb. Ricotta cheese (low fat is fine, but not non-fat) |
| 3 large eggs |
| 1 tablespoon lemon juice |
| 1 tsp. salt |
| 1 tsp. baking powder |
| 3 cups flour |
| 1 cup flour, reserved |
Instructions
Mix the first four ingredients in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the baking powder and 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time.
Place a small amount of dough on a large cutting board or clean counter. Sprinkle with a bit of reserved flour and knead gently, until it no longer sticks to your hands. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Roll into a tube about ½” thick. Cut pieces about ¾" long and roll in reserved flour. Press finger into each piece of dough, making a little hollow or cave (cavatelli). Continue with remaining dough, setting dough out to dry on a clean dish towel-lined baking sheet, for about 2 or 3 hours. At this point, cook or freeze on the baking sheet, then place frozen, in a freezer bag to cook later.
Cook in a large pot of boiling salted water, with a teaspoon of olive oil. If frozen, just toss in frozen. When the cavatelli comes to the cop, cook for about 15 min. Taste to be sure they are cooked, and not gummy.
Drain, ladle on your best pasta sauce and serve warm with cracked pepper and Parmesan cheese.