Homemade Cavatelli Pasta Dough Recipe

Learn how to make this Homemade Cavatelli Pasta Dough Recipe & enjoy simple, rustic casalinga-style pasta with your favourite sauce. Ingredients • 4 cups all-purpose flour sifted • 1½ cups water room temperature • 1 teaspoon salt • extra flour for rolling Instructions 1. Place the sifted flour on a wooden board and make a well in the center. (Foodie Fran Note-I use my mixer) 2. Add the water and the salt in the center of the well. 3. With a fork, start incorporating the flour and the water until you get a thick batter. Pull in the flour from the bottom of the well. 4. With the help of a dough scraper, incorporate the rest of the flour (it may appear to you that there isn't enough water...just keep kneading...magically everything comes together). 5. Knead for about 8-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough feels sticky, add a little bit of flour. If, on the other hand, the dough feels dry, sprinkle a few drops of water over the dough and continue kneading. 6. Wrap dough in cling wrap and let it rest for about one hour at room temperature (I will usually place a tea towel over the top). 7. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. 8. Roll out each piece of dough to approximately ¼ inch thick. Make sure your board and rolling pin are floured. 9. Cut the into ¾ - 1 inch strips. 10. Cut each strip into 1/4 - 1/2 inch rectangular pieces. 11. Using the index finger, apply a gentle pressure on the dough, dragging it toward you. There should be a slight curl that forms. 12. Place cavatelli on large baking sheets that have been dusted with flour. Place the cavatelli in a single layer and not touching one another. 13. Continue until all the dough has been formed into cavatelli. 14. Allow to air dry for at least 30 minutes. 15. If using immediately, drop in a large pot of salted boiling water for a few minutes. The cavatelli are done when they float to the top. (Try to shake off as much as the flour as possible before boiling them). Taste to make sure they are cooked to your liking. 16. If freezing, place the tray of cavatelli in the freezer and once frozen, place in plastic bag in the freezer. Can be cooked frozen. (Should take 6-8 minutes to cook. Once they rise to the top, they should be done. Taste to make sure they are cookedto your liking). 17. Serve with your favorite sauce. Notes You can substitute the all-purpose flour with bread flour, or a mixture of the two. You can also replace up to half of the all purpose flour with semolina flour. Cavatelli can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Author Maria Vannelli RD