Ricotta Cavatelli: A How to Recipe

Homemade Ricotta Cavatelli is a fresh pasta dough recipe made with flour, ricotta, milk, and eggs. Pairs perfectly with Italian broccoli rabe and broccoli.

There is no denying that making homemade pasta requires an initial investment of time.

But you will be rewarded with a great tasting pasta and of course some bragging rights.

Cavatelli and orecchiette are some of the most familiar varieties found throughout Southern Italy. Without a doubt, broccoli rabe pasta recipes are some of the most popular.

After all, who can resist the combination of garlicky broccoli rabe with pasta?

I have already shared my family recipe for homemade cavatelli made only with flour, water and salt. 

The cavatelli recipe I am sharing with you today is made with one egg and ricotta cheese. Please note that you can also get great results with any commercial variety of ricotta.

Mise en place

It’s always a good idea to prepare your ingredients before starting a recipe, especially when you start kneading.

With that in mind, here’s what you need:

• 500 grams of all-purpose flour ( 3½ cups)
• 500 grams ricotta (approx 2 cups)
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons of milk (or water)
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

There are 2 ways you can combine this recipe.

Stand Mixer Method

Simply place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the dough hook, knead for 8-10 minutes on medium speed. 

The dough should pull away from the sides and the bottom of the bowl. The texture should be soft.

If it appears wet and a little sticky, add ½-1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the right consistency is achieved.

On the other hand, if it appears dry and crumbly, add ½-1 tablespoons of milk (or water) at a time until the right consistency is achieved.

Traditional Method

Place the flour on a wooden board and shape it in a well.

This same principle can be used by placing the flour in a bowl and creating a well. 

Add the rest of the ingredients in the middle of the well. Beat together and slowly incorporate the flour with a fork. You will obtain a raggy dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured wooden board.  

Use your hands to knead it for about 8-10 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic.

If it feels sticky, add a little bit of flour. If, on the other hand, if it feels dry, sprinkle a few drops of water and continue kneading.

Wrap the ball of dough in cling wrap.

Cover with a tea towel. Leave it on the counter to rest, at room temperature, for about 30 minutes.

This resting period allows the gluten to relax. As a result, it will be easier to roll out and shape.

During this waiting period, line 1-2 rimmed baking sheets with tea towels and sprinkle a little bit of flour over them. This will prevent the cavatelli from sticking together. 

Cutting the dough

The first thing we need to do is to cut off a section of our freshly made ball of dough.

Keep the remaining dough covered with the cling wrap to prevent it from drying out. 

Using both your fingertips and palms of your hands, start at the center and roll towards the ends. All the while, apply a gentle pressure to stretch it out into a rope shape.  Keep rolling until your rope is about ½ inch thick.

Flatten the rope by applying gentle pressure over the top. 

Use a pastry cutter or a knife to cut the rope evenly into ½ inch pieces. 

We are now ready to make our pasta shapes.

Pasta shaping

As you can see, there are different ways you can shape your pasta.

Let’s begin with the shape that looks like mini hot dog buns.

Separate the individual pieces of dough on your wooden board. 

Create this shape by applying gentle pressure in the dough using a floured pinky finger. 

Then, simply give the piece of dough a little roll. 

You can also use your thumb by pressing into the dough and rolling away from your body.

Create the second shape with the help of a gnocchi board. 

Place an individual piece of dough on a floured pasta board. 

Once again, apply gentle pressure and press down into the dough, dragging it down.

The little groves on the pasta dough are just waiting to be combined with your favorite sauce!

Create the third shape by placing your index and middle finger on the individual piece of dough.

Apply gentle pressure and press down into the dough, dragging it towards you. 

This creates a little space or crevice which is great for picking up the sauce. 

Transfer the newly shaped cavatelli to the floured tea towel. Place in a single layer and not touching one another.

Continue this process with the rest of the dough.

Allow to air dry for 30 minutes.

If using immediately, drop in a large pot of salted boiling water for a few minutes. When they float to the top, combine them with your favorite sauce and enjoy them.

If freezing, place the baking sheet of cavatelli in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bag and store in the freezer. 

Tips

• If the dough appears wet and a little sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the right consistency is achieved.
• On the other hand, if the dough appears dry and crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of milk (or water) at a time until the right consistency is achieved.
• While shaping the pasta, keep the rest of the dough covered with the cling wrap to prevent it from drying out. 
• Do not flour your work surface when rolling the rope of dough. The extra flour makes it harder to roll the dough. 
• In the absence of a gnocchi board, use the side of a cheese grater. 
• Freeze cavatelli for up to 3 months.
• You can substitute the all-purpose flour with bread flour, or a mixture of the two. You can also replace up to half of the all-purpose flour with semolina flour.

Cavatelli recipes we love

• Broccoli Rabe Cavatelli Pasta
• Cavatelli with Tomato Sauce
• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
• Avocado Pesto Pasta

Recipe Origin

It is back to my childhood for this recipe…

My nonna and Mom would make gavadeel at least once a month.

Sometimes, they would be made with a ricotta dough, sometimes not.

This pasta-making video provided me with the inspiration to shape the cavatelli pasta dough a little differently than how my nonna would shape them.

This is what they look like when you make this sauteed broccoli and cavatelli recipe.

Just in case you are wondering… yes, they were delicious! 

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

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Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this cavatelli recipe made with ricotta, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!