Discover the joy of making homemade Cavatelli Pasta with just two simple ingredients - semola rimacinata and water! These Italian pasta shells are made with no eggs and are slightly denser than gnocchi and perfect to pair with your favorite sauces for a delicious, easy meal.
Cavatelli pasta is an Italian delicacy that originated from the regions of Molise and Puglia. These small, shell-shaped pasta gems are distinctive for their delightful chewy texture, which sets them apart from the light and pillowy gnocchi.
Made traditionally with just semola rimacinata and water, cavatelli is a bit denser and heartier, making them the perfect canvas for absorbing the flavors of your favorite sauces.
These pasta shells add a delicious twist to your Italian recipe repertoire and is super easy to make! With just two ingredients and a simple process, anyone can do it. Start by mixing semola rimacinata and water, knead the dough, and let it rest. Then, roll, cut, and shape the cavatelli. Boil them for a few minutes, and you're ready to enjoy your own delicious pasta creation.
Cavatelli pasta is incredibly versatile and can be served in a variety of ways to suit different occasions. Whether you toss them in a rich tomato sauce for a cozy weeknight dinner, pair them with hearty ragu for a special family gathering, or serve them cold in a pasta salad at a summer picnic, this easy pasta always shines.
And if you enjoy making easy homemade pasta, you’ll love making KitchenAid Pasta, or Ricotta Gnocchi in just ten minutes!
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This cavatelli pasta recipe requires just two basic ingredients and simple steps, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you want a homemade meal in a flash.
- Experience an authentic taste of Italy with these homemade pasta shells, which give a slightly nutty flavor and a hearty texture that pairs wonderfully with a variety of sauces.
- There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of crafting your own pasta from scratch, and this recipe lets you enjoy that sense of accomplishment while knowing your pasta is made with fresh ingredients.
🚰 Ingredients You’ll Need
- Semola Rimacinata - Provides the essential structure and texture to the cavatelli pasta. It's a finely ground durum wheat flour, known for its high protein content, which ensures that the pasta turns out dense and chewy, with a slightly nutty flavor.
- Water - Makes up the binding agent in this recipe, and it plays a crucial role in bringing the semola rimacinata together to form the pasta dough. Its hydration helps create the right consistency for kneading and shaping the cavatelli, ensuring they hold their shell shape during cooking.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Homemade Cavatelli Pasta
Make a flour well: On a flat wooden surface, pour out the semola. Use your hands or a small bowl to create a well in the center, then pour the water into the well.
Mix the dough: With a fork, mix the water and flour, bringing more in from the sides into the center. Keep mixing until large chunks form using a bench scraper if needed.
Knead and rest: Once the dough has come together, use your hands to start kneading. Even though there will be flour on the board, it will eventually get combined into the dough. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Place a bowl over the dough, or wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Cut into pasta: Cut the dough into four pieces. Roll the dough into ½-inch-thick pieces while keeping the rest of the dough covered. Cut the long piece of dough into ½-inch wide pieces.
Shape the cavatelli by placing one of the cut pieces in front of you and, using your index and middle finger, roll the piece toward you, creating an indent in the pasta and creating an almost shell shape.
You can also use only one finger or only your thumb, but I find using the two fingers works best and gives the best shape. Place the cavatelli aside while you’re working on the others, and dust with semola to prevent it from sticking.
Cook the cavatelli: Boil a pot of water and add salt. Add the cavatelli, and cook for just 2-3 minutes. Drain, and mix with your favorite sauce. Enjoy!
🗒️ Recipe Tips
- When adding water to the semola rimacinata, go slow and aim for a dough that's firm but not too dry. You can always adjust by adding a bit more water if needed.
- When shaping the cavatelli, shape/roll them with the cut side at the top and not at the side. If you roll them from the side (uncut part) the shape will not be as pronounced, and look a little different than the traditional cavatelli shape.
- A wooden board or surface works best for kneading and shaping cavatelli. It prevents sticking and helps with the dough's texture.
- Letting the dough rest for 30 minutes is essential. It relaxes the gluten, making it easier to roll and shape later.
- While working on one piece of dough, keep the others covered to prevent drying out. A damp cloth or plastic wrap works well.
- Ensure that you cut the dough into evenly sized pieces to make uniform cavatelli.
- When shaping the cavatelli, use your index and middle finger to create the characteristic shell shape. You can also experiment with using only one finger or your thumb.
- After shaping, dust the cavatelli with semola to prevent sticking while they wait to be cooked.
- Season the boiling water with salt before adding the cavatelli. It infuses flavor into the pasta.
- Cavatelli cooks quickly, usually in 2-3 minutes. Taste one to ensure it's al dente before draining, and save a bit of pasta water to enhance your sauce if needed.
🍅 Serving Suggestions
- Toss your freshly boiled cavatelli with a classic tomato sauce, garnish with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese for a simple and delicious meal.
- Indulge in a rich and meaty Bolognese sauce with cavatelli, topping it off with a generous sprinkle of grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Create a creamy Alfredo sauce with butter and Parmesan cheese to coat your cavatelli for a luxurious, velvety pasta dish.
- For a refreshing twist, toss cavatelli with a lemon-butter sauce, add some sautéed spinach, and finish with lemon zest and a touch of grated Parmesan.
- Create a colorful cavatelli primavera by sautéing a variety of seasonal vegetables like cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers, then toss them with the pasta and a light olive oil dressing.
- Combine cavatelli with blanched broccoli florets and sautéed garlic in olive oil, and anchovies for a simple yet satisfying Cavatelli And Broccoli dish.
🧊 Storing & Freezing
Storing: To store freshly made cavatelli, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Make sure to sprinkle them with a little semola to prevent sticking, and avoid overcrowding in the container to maintain their shape and texture.
Freezing: Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Once they're frozen individually, transfer them to an airtight freezer bag or container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be kept in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When ready to use, cook them directly from frozen; there's no need to thaw.
❓ FAQ
Semola and semolina flour are closely related but differ in their texture and grind. Semola is a coarser grind of durum wheat, while semolina flour is finer. Semola is often used for pasta making because it provides a slightly denser texture, while semolina flour is better suited for making bread and some baked goods.
Yes, you can prepare cavatelli dough in advance. After kneading and resting, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. This allows you to save time when you're ready to shape and cook.
Cavatelli works wonderfully in cold pasta salads. After boiling and cooling, toss them with your favorite salad ingredients, such as cherry tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, and a vinaigrette dressing.
🍝 More Easy Pasta Dishes
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Recipe
Homemade Cavatelli Pasta (2-Ingredient Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 200 g semola rimacinata
- 100 g water room temperature
Instructions
Make the Cavatelli
- On flat surface, preferably a wooden surface, like a large wooden board, place the semola.
- Create a well in the center of the semola (using your hands or a small bowl), and place the water in the well.
- With a fork, start mixing together the semola and water, and slowly bringing more semola from the sides into the center. Keep doing this until most of the semola and water are mixed together and the mixture is comprised of large chunks.
- You can use a bench scraper to help you bring the dough together even more.
- Once the dough has mostly come together, start kneading with your hands. There will be a lot of semola on the board, but as you keep kneading, it will attach to the ball of dough.
- Knead on the wooden surface for about 10 minutes until dough is smooth.
- Place a bowl over the dough, or wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Once rested, cut the dough into 4 pieces. Making sure your surface has no flour on it, roll the dough into ½ inch thick piece. In the mean time, make sure the rest of the dough pieces stay covered or else they will dry out.
- Cut the long piece of dough into ½ inch wide pieces. Shape the cavatelli by placing one of the cut pieces in front of you, and starting from the cut side, using your index and middle finger, roll the piece toward you, creating an indent in the piece, and creating an almost shell shape.Note you can also use only one finger or only your thumb but I find using the two fingers works best and gives the best shape.
- Place the cavatelli aside while you’re working on the others and dust with semola to prevent from sticking.
How to cook
- Boil a pot of water, and add salt.
- Add the cavatelli, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain, and mix with your favorite sauce.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- When adding water to the semola rimacinata, go slow and aim for a dough that's firm but not too dry. You can always adjust by adding a bit more water if needed.
- When shaping the cavatelli, roll them with the cut side at the top and not at the side. If you roll them from the side (uncut part) the shape will not be as pronounced, and look a little different than the traditional cavatelli shape.
- A wooden board or surface works best for kneading and shaping cavatelli. It prevents sticking and helps with the dough's texture.
- Letting the dough rest for 30 minutes is essential. It relaxes the gluten, making it easier to roll and shape later.
- While working on one piece of dough, keep the others covered to prevent drying out. A damp cloth or plastic wrap works well.
- Ensure that you cut the dough into evenly sized pieces to make uniform cavatelli.
- When shaping the cavatelli, use your index and middle finger to create the characteristic shell shape. You can also experiment with using only one finger or your thumb.
- After shaping, dust the cavatelli with semola to prevent sticking while they wait to be cooked.
- Season the boiling water with salt before adding the cavatelli. It infuses flavor into the pasta.
- Cavatelli cooks quickly, usually in 2-3 minutes. Taste one to ensure it's al dente before draining, and save a bit of pasta water to enhance your sauce if needed.
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