Homemade Cavatelli with Semolina Dough

Homemade Cavatelli sounds like it would be an intimidating thing, but it's actually much easier than you think!

Homemade Cavatelli is a beautiful and delicious pasta that is really SO EASY to make! Just two ingredients, semolina flour and water, is all you need to start making your own fresh pasta. Homemade pasta right at your fingertips.

I made the Cavatelli with my daughters, Kylie and Morgan, and we had an absolute blast!

Need a sauce for this recipe? Try my creamy Bolognese sauce. It's the perfect compliment to homemade Cavatelli.

What is Cavatelli pasta?

Cavatelli pasta is one of the oldest pastas in the world. Originally from the Molise and Puglia regions of Italy, Cavatelli is popular all over Southern Italy as well.

It's formed by pressing a small indentation in the middle of the dough. This can be done using a variety of methods including a fork, a knife, your fingers or your thumb or a Gnocchi board. Any way you make it, you'll become a big fan of this Italian favorite.

Homemade Cavatelli all starts with the dough...and I can't tell you how easy it is to make! I was definitely intimidated at first, but I quickly realized just how simple it is using just a few ingredients. While other pastas typically use eggs in their dough (like ravioli and other filled pastas), hand-made types like Cavatelli uses only semolina flour and water (salt too if you'd like to add it).

My Semolina Pasta Dough Recipe post will teach you how to make the dough for homemade Cavatelli. The semolina flour can be tough to track down, so if you need some you can grab it for a good price here through Amazon.

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How do you make homemade Cavatelli?

Ok, here comes the fun part...making the Cavatelli!

First, cut off a small piece of the dough.

Now, using both hands, start to roll that piece of dough out until it forms a long, thin rope about as thick as your finger.

Then, with a knife or a dough chopper, cut the rope into small pieces about 1" long. Kinda like little pillows.

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How to shape the homemade Cavatelli

Once we have the little pillows cut, it's time to shape them. There are a number of ways to make the Cavatelli. You can use a fork, a knife, your fingers, your thumb, even a Gnocchi board.

Let's start with using a knife. Take one of the "pillows" and apply some pressure with the knife. Now, start to roll it and continue rolling until the Cavatelli turns completely over and you're able to slide your knife out.

Let's do it with our pointer finger (you can also use your middle finger and your thumb as well).

Now, same as the knife, apply pressure to the pillow. Then, pull your finger back towards you until the Cavatelli completely turns over and you can remove your finger from the dough.

The final method was used was using a Gnocchi board. And there are two ways to use it.

First, you can lay it flat on the ground and use the "finger method" to roll the cavatelli on the board.

The other way to use the gnocchi board is to hold it upright and use your thumb to roll the cavatelli.

And that's it! Homemade Cavatelli right at your fingertips!

Buon appetito!

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Tools I used in this recipe:

• Molino Grassi Organic Semolina Flour
• OXO Stainless Steel Chopper/Scrapper
• Fantes Gnocchi Board
• Cooling/Drying Rack
• Pyrex Measuring Cups

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Recipe