Ricotta Cavatelli Recipes

HANDMADE ITALIAN RICOTTA CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Put 2 1/2 cups of the flour into a bowl, make a well in the flour, and add the cheese and eggs. Gradually work the mixture together, adding more flour if necessary, to make a soft but not sticky dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth. Let the dough rest at room temperature, covered with an inverted bowl or wrapped in plastic, for 30 minutes.
• Form the dough into a round and cut into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time (cover the remaining dough with an inverted bowl to keep the dough from drying out), on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rope 1/4 inch in diameter. With a knife, cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces. With your index and third fingers held together, gently press down on each piece, beginning at the top and moving down toward the bottom, dragging your fingers toward you and causing the pasta to roll over on itself. Transfer the formed pasta to a lightly floured jelly-roll pan and let dry at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
• Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook until the cavatelli are al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. They're done when they float up to the top. Drain and toss the desired quantity with your favorite sauce. Freeze leftovers.

CAVATELLI WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cavatelli and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is soft but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the basil and tomatoes with their juice. Increase the heat to high and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the cavatelli and the reserved cooking water to the skillet; cook, tossing, until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide among bowls and top with the ricotta and pecorino. Season with salt and pepper.

LOBSTER FRA DIAVALO WITH RICOTTA CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Fit electric mixer with a dough hook. In the bowl of the mixer, combine ricotta, flour, 1 tablespoon oil, and salt. Form a well in the middle of the mixture and crack yolks into middle of the well. Using the dough hook, mix until the ingredients just come together. Wrap dough in moist towel and let rest in a warm location for 10 minutes. Roll dough through a pasta machine starting at the largest setting and slowly working to the number 4 setting. Take the sheet of dough and cut into strips about 1/2-inches wide by 10 inches long, then pass through cavatelli machine. Place the pasta on sheet tray and freeze until ready to use.
• Bring 2 large pots of water to boil and salt heavily (salty like the sea). While water is coming to boil, pass tomatoes through a food mill and then chinoise to remove seeds. Set aside. Thinly slice garlic and set aside. Remove the tail and claws of the lobsters and place the claws in 1 of the pots of boiling water. Turn the heat off and wait 2 minutes. Add the tails. Let steep 6 minutes more and remove tails and claws to ice water. When cooled, remove meat, chop and reserve. Add cavatelli to other pot and cook about 8 minutes.
• In saute pan, heat 4 ounces oil and add garlic, cooking 1 minute until garlic starts to just brown. Add sliced chili and cook 1 more minute. Stir in 1/4 cup dry white wine, cooking 1 minute, then add tomato puree. Cook 3 minutes more. When pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce with the lobster and cook 2 minutes. Add butter and turn off heat. Stir and season, to taste, with sea salt and white pepper.
• To serve, divide the pasta among 4 bowls, tear the basil leaves with your hand and sprinkle over the top of the pasta. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

RICOTTA CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Combine the ricotta, eggs and salt in a large bowl, then stir into the flour. Gently combine with your hands to bring together into a dough. Knead the dough together, adding additional flour until the dough is firm and not sticky. Tightly wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Cut the dough into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time, roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into a 1/4-inch-thick rope. With a knife, cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces. Use a bench scraper or your index and third fingers held together to gently press down on each piece, beginning at the top and moving down toward the bottom, dragging the bench scraper toward you and causing the pasta to roll over on itself. Transfer the formed pasta to a lightly-floured baking sheet and let dry at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (At this point, the pasta can be frozen in a single layer and stored in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer.)
• Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until the cavatelli are al dente and begin to float to the top, 3 to 5 minutes.