Another night, another fabulous dinner… what can I say?!?
Victor was in the mood for homemade pasta – and he’s the homemade pasta-maker in the family.
Off he went, and literally, within moments, fresh pasta dough was resting – just waiting to be rolled and formed.
Tonight was Cavatelli. For those who have never made it, cavatelli is a traditional Southern Italian pasta, often served in hearty dishes. It’s an eggless pasta, made with semolina and wheat flour, giving it a chewier texture. It’s right at home with a bold sauce.
And that’s exactly what we had, tonight. Victor’s Pasta Sauce cooked down with Hot Italian Sausage and lots of peas. A bit of the bread I made the other day and it was perfection on a plate!
Cavatelli
- 1 cup semolina flour (up to 1/8 cup more, depending on wetness of dough)
- 3/4 cup Tipo “00” flour (all-purpose if that’s what you have)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Mix flours and salt on board. Make a well and add the water and oil. Slowly mix the liquid into the flour forming a dough. Knead about 5 minutes. It really is made by ‘feel’ so adding a bit more flour or water is normal. Wrap and let rest about 30 minutes to an hour.
Roll pieces of dough into a thin rope and cut into 1/2″ pieces. Press and roll to make little shells.
Cook in salted boiling water. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.
Making homemade pasta really is not difficult, once you get over the terror of actually doing it the first time! One of the biggest caveats is to not expect it to taste like commercial dried pasta or fresh pasta from the grocery store. They’re all very different products.
Make some and have fun!