Cilento Gnocchi – Italian cavatelli Homemade Pasta
Ready in
1h 15 min
Preparation
60 min
Cooking
15 min
Portions
5 Person
Cost
chip
difficulty
easy
I Cavatielli rù Ciliento
Cilento gnocchi
Cilento Gnocchi is a type of pasta made from durum wheat semolina and water, called in the Cilento vernacular “Cavatielli” in coastal areas, while inland “Cavatieddi”. It is processed strictly by hand and is the most consumed homemade pasta throughout the Campania region. It is the first pasta that grandmothers teach to their grandchildren, when they begin to become familiar with flour as a game, also because, as they usually say: “making gnocchi is child’s play”.
Cilento Gnocchi are seasoned with Cilento ragu or based on pork, wild boar, sausage, mixed game, but also Mediterranean style with seasonal vegetables or tomato and basil sauce.
Ingredients
- 500g re-milled semolina flour
- 2 eggs
- 230ml room temperature water
Follow Us
Directions
Pour the semolina flour on a pastry board or in a large bowl and make the classic fountain*
In the center of the fountain and pour half the water and begin to knead and gradually add all the water. If you want a tastier dough you can add before starting to knead 2 eggs
Knead the dough vigorously for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and compact
We form a loaf and wrap it in a slightly damp cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes in the fridge
After the rest time, cut the pasta into small pieces
Roll out the dough as if they were breadsticks, from the maximum circumference of a little finger and always sprinkle with semolina to prevent them from sticking
Cut the dough sticks into 2 cm pieces, exaggeratedly like a finger phalanx and always sprinkle with flour
With your fingertips, index and middle fingers, pull out the pieces of pasta with force, making them rotate on themselves, as you get them put them on a tray and always sprinkle with flour
Boil the cavatelli in abundant salted water for 15 minutes, turn from time to time, taste, if they still seem hard continue cooking until you like. Drain and season
Tips
- The flours are not all the same, therefore, when you knead, adjust with water, the dough should not be too hard or even less soft.
- Do not leave the pasta uncovered otherwise it will dry out.
- The flour must be strictly semolina.
- *The fountain is the hole made in the flour so as not to let the liquid ingredients come out.
Storage
- The cooked gnocchi can be kept in the fridge for 2 days.
- You can freeze them raw, paying attention to two things:
1) must be frozen first in the trays, then put in the sachets.
2) Do not defrost them before cooking them.
Equipment
- Pastry board
- Large bowl
- Knife
- Pot
- Colander
- Skimmer
- Tray
- Cooker
