Techniques & Ingredients: Fresh Pasta
Fresh Pasta
Thinking outside the pasta box
How often do we find ourselves craving a big bowl of comforting pasta? Whether it be spaghetti and meatballs, linguine with clams or a simple carbo...
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.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 – 6 Serving(s)
- 1 recipe fresh egg pasta dough
- All-purpose flour, for rolling
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Edible Tulsa’s Local Pesto (see EdibleTulsa.com)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1½ pounds assorted mushrooms, cleaned and thickly sliced
- Shaved Asiago or Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving
Preparation
On a lightly floured work surface, flatten the dough into a disk about ½ inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut off a thin strip of dough about the width of your index finger. Cover the remaining piece of pasta with a damp kitchen towel while shaping pasta. Pressing down on the dough lightly with your fingertips, roll the dough back and forth into a long, slender log about ¼ inch in diameter. If you need more traction to roll out the dough, sprinkle a little water on your work surface. Cut the log crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, press down on it firmly with your fingertips and drag it toward you until it curls up. It should have the imprint of 2 or 3 fingertips and be hollow in the center. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Once shaped, spread the pasta on a floured baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside for at least 30 minutes until ready to cook or store. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it generously with kosher salt. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shallot and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss the pasta into the boiling water and stir. The pasta should be al dente when it starts to float, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve a cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta and add it back to the pot. Toss pasta with pesto and mushrooms and stir in some of the pasta cooking liquid. Serve immediately, sprinkled with cheese.
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