Homemade Cavatelli 💕+ Update from Heidi

Simple, homemade cavatelli pasta - a fun shape to make from scratch. With turmeric & black pepper & topped w/ roasted winter vegetables & Parmesan.

I spent most of the past four months in Northern California at my dad's house. After my mom died everyone converged on the house, and in short order a lot of other things fell apart. No one went home for a long time. I made some strange decisions about what to bring when I loaded the car that initial morning - watercolors, a stack of cookbooks, my camera, a favorite knife, a huge bin full of spices. I thought about bringing my favorite donabe, but was worried it could break and grabbed my pasta machine instead. Not a bad call - a lot of pasta was made! My nephew is especially enthusiastic about it, so I decided to branch out to a new shape - cavatelli. The move to cavatelli was partially out of necessity. My workhorse, the Atlas pasta machine, has issues at my dad's house. There is nothing to clamp it on to. Every countertop and table is too thick. It's maddening. I noticed the clamp on the cavatelli maker seemed like it might be wider, so I thought we'd try it instead. It is also worth mentioning, I've been meaning to buy a cavatelli maker for years. Ragazza, a sweet little Italian spot, was just up the street from where we lived in San Francisco. The owner Sharon tipped me off to how she made their cavatelli from scratch with a little hand-cranked machine (something like this one) - and I've meant to get my hands on once since. This seemed like the right time.....read more.  See the notes in the post linked below related to flour choices. Basically, semolina flour is traditional, but you can use "00" flour, semolina flour, or a combination of the two. Pasta Dough: 160 g water 300 g semolina flour, "00" flour, or a combination of the two 4 g / scant teaspoon fine grain sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional) 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional) Roasted Vegetables: 1 medium yellow beet, peeled, cut 1/2-inch cubes 1 small head of cauliflower florets 1 medium delicate squash, halved lengthwise and deseeded Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese To serve: sliced scallions, lots of lemon zest, and juice INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 400F. Make the Cavatelli // Combine the flour, water, and salt in a large bowl. Add the turmeric and black pepper as well, if using. Stir until combined. If you added the turmeric, knead in the bowl to avoid staining your counters. If you skipped it, then turn out onto a lightly floured countertop. Use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball and knead for 7-10 minutes, until the dough is silky smooth and elastic. Keep in mind, some flours are thirstier than others. You can add a bit more water as you go if you feel like your dough is too dry. Or dust with more flour if it is too wet. I've found that a spray bottle is my favorite way to add water to pasta dough without adding too much. Make the Dough // Form the dough into a ball and place in a plastic bag, alternately or plastic wrap. Allow the cavatelli dough to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Use immediately, refrigerate for up to a day, or freeze for up to a few months. Shape the Cavetelli // Unwrap the dough and, use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 3/4-inch wide strips. Use a cavatelli maker to shape the pasta. Alternately you can shape the cavatelli by hand. Spread the pasta onto a baking sheet in a single layer and dust generously with more flour. Keep refrigerated or frozen until ready to cook. To Cook the Cavatelli // Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the cavatelli for 2-3 minutes, or until tender. They'll float to the top of the pot as they cook. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of the pasta water. Serve immediately. Roast the Vegetables // While the dough is resting, I typically roast or prep any vegetables or sauce I'm going to use with my pasta. In this case, arrange the beets and cauliflower on a large baking sheet. Slice the delicate squash into 1/2-inch thick crescents. Add them to the baking sheet as well and toss well with a couple big plugs of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, and bake until golden - 30 minutes or so. Assemble the Pasta // Immediately after cooking the cavatelli, transfer to a large serving bowl along with the reserved pasta water. Add most of the Parmesan cheese and toss well. Add the roasted vegetables, lots of scallions and lemon zest. Toss again and serve topped with the remaining Parmesan, more scallions and lemon wedges to squeeze. Serves 4 - Makes 1 pound dough. Print-friendly version + notes + details So Good! //  Pasta with Creamy Crushed Walnut Sauce More Pasta //  Homemade Pasta Last Week //  Sourdough Galette with Delicata Squash Braided Onion Bread View this email in your browser   Important: The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation took effect on May 25, 2018. You are receiving this email because you are currently on our mailing list and we would like to continue sharing recipes from 101 Cookbooks with you in the future. In compliance with the GDPR, we are committed to the protection and security of your contact information. We have not and will never share your data with any third party.  No action is necessary unless you wish to unsubscribe from our mailing list with the link at the bottom of this email ("unsubscribe from this list").  Copyright © 2021 101 Cookbooks, All rights reserved. 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