Cavatelli

Eggless pasta dragged into shells with a thumb, two ingredients and no machine.

Vegan.

Ingredients

• 400 g fine semolina flour
• 200 ml warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Mix the semolina, water and salt and knead 10 minutes until smooth and firm. It will feel tight compared with an egg pasta and should.
2. Rest it 30 minutes under a bowl.
3. Roll pieces into ropes as thick as a finger and cut them into 1.5 cm lengths.
4. DRAG EACH PIECE TOWARDS YOU with your thumb or two fingers, pressing down and pulling at the same time, so it rolls over itself into a shell with a hollow underneath. That hollow is the whole purpose of the shape — it holds sauce where a smooth piece would shed it.
5. Work on a wooden board, not marble. The drag needs friction and on a smooth cold surface the dough slides instead of curling.
6. Spread them on a floured cloth as you go, not touching.
7. Boil 6 to 8 minutes. They are thicker than they look and need longer than egg pasta.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Italy · All recipes