Cavatelli e Bietole

Cavatelli is a favourite pasta shape of mine. The shape is from Southern Italy and it is popular in the regions of Molise, Basilicata and Apulia.

The verb "cavare" means to scoop or gouge, so "cavato" means scooped or hollowed out, concave, and cavatelli are little scooped out pasta pieces. A shape that lends itself to nestling sauce in its hollows. I like making Cavatelli, whether the simple cowrie shell shapes, sometimes called "cavatelluzzi" made with just the index finger or the many fingers longer version. I like it because though you need to shape each piece one at a time, you don't need a pasta machine or a rolling pin, just your hands, flour and water and a work surface. Wood is better, because pasta likes warmth but anything will do at a pinch.

I still have my gorgeously fragrant stone ground Senatore Cappelli flour and this is what I used: 250 g (a generous half pound) durum wheat flour and 125 ml (half a cup) of warm water, plenty for two.

I made the dough using the usual durum wheat pasta proportions of about half the weight of flour in warm water. No other ingredients. I kneaded the two together long enough to get a smooth dough that looked like this. I put it away to rest under a glass bowl - a plastic bag or plastic wrap will also do.

 

Then after 40 minutes or so it was time to make the cavatelli. To shape each cavatello you first make a long thin rope any way you wish, then you twist or cut off pieces. You then use your fingers to press gently on a wooden board,  sliding your fingers towards you and thinning the dough out in the process.

First on one side, then on the other is what I do, though the skilled ladies in the south make it one single stroke. As you stretch and thin it, it curls up on itself to make a kind of still slightly open long, narrow tube.

I started out using 4 fingers (3 fingers is the classic way) and one hand only, but soon decided to make the shaping go faster by using two hands and the three middle fingers of each to roll up each of the two sides in turn, dipping my fingers flour when thigns got sticky. Six finger cavatelli. I worked with pleasure, I find this kind of thing very therapeutic and relaxing and making enough for two is a breeze. It is less fun if you have to feed 6 or more people, so in that case I suggest you get them to join in the process. It's the kind of thing kids love doing too.

It is best to leave durum wheat hand-shaped pasta to dry for an hour at least so that is what I did.

You can dress cavatelli in many ways: wilted rapini greens, pureed chickpeas or beans or dried fava, pork sausage, mussels, zucchini, a tomato or tomato/ricotta or tomato/caper sauce, well softened brocolli or cauliflower - all these and more.

For my "condimento" I made a simple rustic dressing using some pre-blanched Swiss chard that was already prepared in the fridge, 2 salted anchovies and 2 cloves of garlic. The garlic I peeled, cut in half, removed the centre shoot and then sliced very finely because we both like garlic. The alternative is to leave it in large pieces so it lends its flavour but can be avoided and not eaten. The anchovies I cleaned, filleted and chopped and  I chopped the Swiss chard too. Then I placed the sliced garlic in a saute pan with EVO oil to warm up on very low heat. I added the anchovies and melted them down to a paste in moments, then tipped in the slightly damp chopped chard before the garlic had a chance to go brown (and bitter). No chilli flakes today because I used the anchovy, it is usual to do either one or the other here not both, but feel free!  

 

After 3 hours of drying, the pasta took about 5 minutes to cook in well salted boiling water. You need to check by tasting - as soon as it has lost any floury taste it is ready. I scooped it up out of the pasta water with a mandolin sieve, tipped into the pan with the Swiss Chard, tossed well to mix and then served with a well aged Pecorino Sardo to grate over at table.

 

That's it: make, eat and enjoy. It maybe plain and simple Cucina Povera but it is utterly satisfying and delicious!

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