Easy
This dish is part of my 52 Weeks of Pasta exploration. I made the cavatelli from scratch but you don't have to for this Cavatelli with Beans and Broccolini. You can usually find it dried in the pasta section, although in the bigger stores, you may have to look at the dried specialty pasta.
Cavatelli is a hand-shaped pasta typically made in the Southern parts of Italy and is said to have originated in Molise, but now you will find it in places such as Campania (where it may be called crusicchi or cecaruccoli) and Apulia (called Capunti ). You don't need any fancy equipment for this, as I'm learning with many of the shapes.
Cavatelli comes from the word meaning "to hollow out", and if you look at the shape, there is a "hollow" center. You make it by using two fingers, pressing it into the dough, and then rolling it. My technique needs a lot of polishing, but the end result tasted really good.
It can hold up to a strong sauce and is traditionally made with mussels and beans, but I wanted to explore this recipe with beans, broccolini, red pepper flakes, white wine, and Parmesan cheese. This version of
Cavatelli with Beans and Broccolini was delicious and I would definitely recommend giving it a try. Plus, the broccolini cooks at the same time as the pasta, so you can have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.
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