Homemade Cavatelli Pasta With Fresh Tomato Sauce

Arrange the flour making a small fountain with a well in the centre.

Add water and salt a little at a time and knead by hand until the water is absorbed.

Keep kneading the dough, the result will be a compact, smooth, homogeneous ball.

Cover the ball in cling film and let it rest for about half an hour so that the dough can be easily

After 30 mins, knead the dough a little bit before starting your cavatelli shaping. If you poke it with your thumb, the dough should slowly bounce back.

To shape your cavatelli, work one piece at a time and make a small roll from which you will take a chunk of around 1 cm wide.

Apply a little pressure against a tray or a plate or your working surface and dig the cavatello inside with your index and middle fingers, curling the edges.

If you want to decorate the cavatello, you can use a “rigagnocchi” paddle or a ridged butter paddle instead of a tray/plate.

Continue like this until you run out of dough.

Once you have finished, admire your amazing handmade pasta and don’t forget to sprinkle with a little bit of semolina so pasta won’t stick!

Your cavatelli are ready to be enjoyed with your preferred pasta sauce! Try them with a slow cooked fresh tomato sauce with some fresh basil and Parmesan cheese (or without cheese for the vegan version).

Gently crush 2 cloves of garlic with your hand or a knife.

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and warm it up.

Add the garlic cloves and cook until golden, then remove them.

Add the cherry tomatoes (previously cut into halves) and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the fresh basil and let the sauce cook on a gentle heat for 15-20 mins.

The secret is to add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and if you like a little spicy kick, add some chilli flakes or fresh chilli to the garlic. Buon appetito.