Fresh Cavatelli

A simple dough of flour and water is mixed, rolled, and shaped into small, ear‑shaped cavatelli pieces by hand or with a board. Each piece is slightly indented to hold sauce, creating a tender pasta that cooks quickly. The handmade technique produces a chewy texture with a rustic appearance, characteristic of fresh Italian pasta.

As the cavatelli cook in boiling water, they remain tender while the indentations capture sauce and seasoning. The fresh dough provides a delicate yet resilient bite, allowing flavors to cling. The preparation emphasizes careful shaping and handling to achieve uniform, tender pasta with a rustic, authentic texture.

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Pasta

Italian

Ingredients

• 300 g semolina flour
• 130 mL water

Instructions 

Don’t Sleep

• Dump 300 g semolina flour in a large bowl, onto the counter, or onto a large cutting board and form into a volcano shape.
• Pour 130 ml of water into middle of the semolina.
• Use a fork to combine the water and semolina into a shaggy dough.
• Use hands or a bench scraper to fold and combine the flour and water until a dough ball is formed.
• Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and solid.
• Cover dough and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Cut dough into quarters and leave covered.
• Take each quarter and roll it out into a ½-inch diameter.
• Cut ½-inch pillows from the roll.
• Roll each pillow down the gnocchi board with two fingers or a table knife.
• Place rolled cavatelli onto a baking sheet dusted with semolina.
• Once all the pasta are formed, sprinkle the tops with semolina and place the baking sheet in the freezer for an hour to firm up.
• Place cavatelli in a plastic bag and store in the freezer or drop into salted boiling water and cook for 6-7 minutes.
• Dump cooked cavatelli into butter, garlic, and sage sauce.