Cavatelli with fresh tomato and basil sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Easy homemade cavatelli with a fresh tomato and basil sauce.
Author:
Recipe type: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 250 g fine durum semolina flour
  • Approx 100 mls warm water (maybe a little less, maybe a little more - depends on the weather, humidity.. Massimo says you need to make the pasta a few times to get to know the "feel" of the correct consistency)
  • olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled but not chopped
  • 1.5 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
  • About 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or 1 can cherry tomatoes)
  • a generous handful of fresh basil leaves (roughly torn) and extra for garnish
  • salt
  • pepper
Instructions
  1. Heap the flour on a work surface or in a large bowl.
  2. Make a well in the flour, add most of the water in the well and slowly incorporate the water using a fork or a finger. Incorporate only a tiny amount of the flour by making a circular motion with either the fork or the finger and bringing a little bit of the flour in on each round. When the mixture is too dry add in some more water.
  3. The dough will be a little bit crumbly. Gather the dough in your hands and knead until your dough ball is not too dry and not too wet, it should be smooth.
  4. Knead the dough, making sure to push it on the work surface with the heel of your hand to stretch the it. You should knead this for about 5-10 minutes.
  5. Cut the dough ball into four to six pieces and roll it out under the palm of your hand to form long, thin logs the thickness of your little finger.
  6. Line up the thin logs (4-5 at a time) and with a sharp knife, cut tiny pieces, about 1cm long.
  7. With your thumb, drag the pieces of dough across a wooden cutting board or work surface to form tiny curls.
  8. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
  9. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently fry the garlic.
  10. Add the tomatoes, add salt and pepper and allow to simmer, uncovered for about 8 minutes on a low heat.
  11. Add the canned tomatoes and the basil leaves and continue to simmer for 5-6 minutes.
  12. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until they float to the surface.
  13. Toss cooked pasta in the tomato sauce and serve.
Recipe by eat. live. travel. write. at https://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2015/06/les-petits-chefs-make-cavatelli-with-fresh-tomato-sauce-with-massimo-bruno/