Cavatelli with Wild Mushrooms and Local Pesto
Cavatelli, literally meaning “little hollows” in Italian, are small pasta shells that look like miniature hot dog buns. They are thick and chewy, with ridges to hold onto sauce.
Think of tortelloni as tortellini’s big brother, but with a different personality. The smaller tortellini are typically filled with a savory meat filling, while tortelloni are commonly stuffed with a cheese filling. These delicate little parcels are commonly served en brodo (“in broth”). Since the broth is in essence the sauce, make sure it is of the highest quality—we like to make our own.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4-6 Serving(s)
For the tortelloni:
- 16 ounces whole-milk ricotta
- ⅓ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe fresh egg pasta dough
- All-purpose flour or semolina flour, for rolling
- 1 egg white, beaten
To finish:
- 2 quarts homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
- Finely chopped chives, for serving
Preparation
To make the filling, mash ricotta, parsley, Parmesan, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt and pepper together in a bowl until well blended. Cover and chill while preparing dough.
Follow the instructions above for rolling out the pasta into wide sheets. The resulting sheet of pasta should be about 1/16 inch thick—just short of being translucent.
Use a pastry wheel or 4-to 5-inch cookie cutter to cut pasta into squares. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoonful of filling into center of each dough square. Brush edges lightly with egg white; fold over into a triangle and press to seal. Fold and press tips together, moistening with egg white to seal. Transfer to a lightly floured rimmed baking sheet. The pasta can be made up to 6 hours ahead—cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and chill until ready to cook.
Bring stock to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add tortelloni to boiling water. Simmer, stirring gently, until cooked through—they will begin to float after 2 to 3 minutes, alerting you that they are cooked. Using a slotted spoon, transfer tortelloni to serving bowls and spoon sauce over them. Serve, sprinkled with cheese and chives.
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