Ricotta Cavatelli
The origin of this recipe was the year 2014. When I was at the cusp of thinking, I got this Mom thing down. I remember the exact day I first made this as it was a night where my girlfriend and I would have a ‘dinner and movie night’ as our husbands watched the kids.
It was a night where we looked forward to the buttery popcorn, savory steak dinners and kind of a recharge of that mom battery. We both didn’t have family that lived in state so these nights were treasured!
Of course, it revolved around the food! This is the pasta I made one evening before I had gone out for my own evening of fun. We have made it many times since then and it holds its place as tried and true.
A possible pairing is a buttery lemon sauce, with asparagus and topped with asiago cheese.
Hera’s Pinch
Ricotta and pasta are beautiful mix. Ricotta is the special secret in making the cavatelli tender. Just savory and warm especially for a rainy spring day. This is a fun pasta to make with the kiddos. A fun and cathartic process. In saying that make sure you give yourself the time to do it.
Ricotta Cavatelli
Ingredients
Instructions
- Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
- Mix the ricotta and egg in a small bowl with a fork. Add the ricotta and egg mixture to the middle of the well.
- Using the fork and working your way around the well, gradually mix the flour into the ricotta mixture until the dough is crumbly. If the dough is too dry to come together, add 3 tablespoons of water, half a tablespoon at a time.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Working with one piece at a time (making sure the remaining dough is still wrapped) roll the dough on the counter with hands into a 1/2 inch thick log.
- With a knife or bench scraper, cut the log into 1/2 inch pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball. Flatten each ball of dough with your finger.
- Place the back of a butter knife on the flattened dough and gently pull it toward you so the dough curls around the knife. Repeat to form the remaining cavatelli; transfer to a floured baking sheet as you go.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Transfer the cavatelli to a colander and shake over the baking sheet to remove the excess flour. Add the cavatelli to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.
Notes:
The dough can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to room temp before rolling.
