How to Shape Fresh Cavatelli Pasta
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Mindy Fox1/6Begin with a Piece of Dough
Start by pulling a walnut-sized piece from your ball of food-processor pasta dough. Rewrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Mindy Fox2/6Start Rolling
On a wooden cutting board or surface, roll out the walnut-sized piece of dough to a 1/3-inch-wide rope.
If your dough is sticking to the surface and you're having trouble rolling it out, sprinkle the surface with a little semolina flour. If you find you're having the opposite problem—that the dough is too dry to roll—dampen your hands with a little water.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Mindy Fox3/6Cut Into Pieces
Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the pasta rope into 1 3/4-inch segments.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Mindy Fox4/6Push and Pull
Press each piece with your three middle fingers, creating an indentation while you pull the piece toward you against the work surface.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Mindy Fox5/6Lookin' Good
The cavatelli pasta should be rounded on the outside, with three distinct indentations on the inside.
6/6Finished!
Move your cavatelli to a semolina-dusted sheet pan or plate to prevent sticking. Once you've shaped all of your dough, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente, 6-7 minutes. Drain the pasta, toss it with sauce, and eat!
You can also freeze the cavatelli to cook up later. Just stick the sheet pan or plate in the freezer. Once the shapes are frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container. They'll keep well for about 2 weeks. To cook, just toss them frozen into the boiling, salted water and add an extra minute or two to the cooking time.
Read more: How to Make Fresh Homemade Pasta
