Directions: |
Directions:Place Ricotta and egg with salt and pepper in large bowl. With fork, beat egg and cheese until well combined. Place flour on flat, smooth work surface (preferably wood). Create small well in middle of flour. Pour cheese/egg mixture into well. Draw some of the four over well, mixing it with a fork little by little until egg mixture is no longer runny. Draw sides of mound together with your hands. Work the mixture together with your fingers and palms until smooth and well integrated. If dough seems moist add a bit of flour.
Take ball of dough and divide it into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time, lay dough out on lightly floured surface (wood is best), and divide into quarters again. Pull away small balls of dough about size of a nickel. Place dough ball in palm of one hand and flatten with the other palm. Roll out dough, moving hands in opposite directions until it is roughly 3-inches long and about 1/4 inch think (8-finger cavatelli because you use your four fingers minus thumbs). Lastly, roll once, making a slight indentation in center of dough with index fingers. Place on towel. Repeat process with remainder of dough. Be careful not to overlap cavatelli. Allow past to dry for at least 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour to keep individual pieces from sticking. Store in cool, dry place until ready to use, up to 24 hours. To freeze leftover pasta for future use, sprinkle liberally with flour, place in plastic bag and seal.
Cooking Cavatelli: Cook the cavatelli in rapid boiling pot of salted water. The cavatelli will float when done, about 5 minutes. Always make sure to taste one before you take it off the heat though. Enjoy as is with pasta sauce or as a Baked Ricotta Cavatelli with mascarpone cheese sauce in Lucy's Lucy's all'Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce . |
This recipe for Chef Augie Arifi's 8-Finger Ricotta Cavatelli is from