Name: homemade cavatelli pasta
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 batch semolina pasta dough; semolina flour, for dusting; kosher salt, for cooking

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Make homemade cavatelli pasta with simple semolina dough. These chewy, ridged pasta shells are perfect for pesto, ragù, and tomato sauce.

Why I Love It

When I first started making handmade pasta, cavatelli was one of the first semolina shapes we tried and immediately fell in love with.

My son was six when I took a deep dive into pasta making, and he was right there with me. He loved the gorgeous wooden boards that imprint the ridges, rolling ropes of dough, cutting them into little pillows, and smooshing each piece down the board. He eventually claimed the household title of Master Cavatelli Maker, which I just think is so cool.

Whenever we feel like hunkering down and spending a few hours in the kitchen making a special dinner with our hands, cavatelli is the first shape that comes to mind. It’s simple enough that we can talk while we shape, start and stop as needed, and everyone can contribute. Even our two-year-old can get in on it.

And yet, for such a simple shape, it’s so delicious. Cavatelli means “little hollows,” from the Italian verb cavare, or “to carve,” which is exactly what you do when you press the dough down the board. The resulting ridges and hollow center are perfect for grabbing onto a slowly simmered meat sauce, chunky pesto, or our favorite red sauce.

If you love making pasta together, try my garganelli next for another fun shape, or tackle homemade pici when you’re looking for a new challenge.

How to Make Cavatelli

1. **Roll and cut.** Roll semolina pasta dough into ½-inch ropes and cut into ½-inch pieces.

2. **Shape.** Press each piece down a ridged pasta board with your thumb to create a curled, hollow shape.

3. **Dust.** Transfer to a semolina-dusted sheet pan and toss gently to prevent sticking.

Recipe Tips

Keep unused dough covered. Semolina dough dries out quickly, so work with one portion at a time.

Dust with semolina. Transfer shaped cavatelli to a semolina-dusted sheet pan and toss gently to prevent sticking.

Freeze instead of refrigerating. Fresh semolina pasta can get sticky in the fridge. Freeze cavatelli on a sheet pan until firm, then transfer to an airtight container for up to 3 months. Cook straight from frozen.

Cook until pleasantly chewy. Cavatelli should be tender but still have a springy, satisfying bite.

Use a spider or slotted spoon. Scoop the pasta from the pot rather than draining it so the coarse semolina that settles on the bottom stays behind.

Pair with textured sauces. The hollow centers and ridges are perfect for chunky pesto, tomato and sausage ragù, bolognese, and other hearty sauces.

homemade cavatelli pasta

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Make homemade cavatelli pasta with simple semolina dough. These chewy, ridged pasta shells are perfect for pesto, ragù, and tomato sauce.

Author: Indi Hampton
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 4
Category: Pasta
Method: Handmade
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

1 batch semolina pasta dough
semolina flour, for dusting
kosher salt, for cooking

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Instructions

Cut off a portion of pasta dough and keep the remaining dough covered. Roll the dough into a rope about ½-inch thick, then cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces.
Place one piece of dough on a ridged pasta board. Press the side of your thumb into the dough and push down and away from you, curling the dough into a hollow shell. Repeat with the remaining dough. Alternatively, shape the pasta on a smooth work surface for smooth cavatelli.
Transfer the cavatelli to a sheet pan generously dusted with semolina flour. Shake the pan occasionally to coat the pasta and prevent sticking.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the cavatelli and cook until tender but pleasantly chewy, about 3–5 minutes depending on their size and thickness.
Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the cavatelli directly to your sauce. Toss with the sauce and a splash of pasta water until glossy and well coated. Serve right away.

Notes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

To make ahead: Keep freshly shaped cavatelli on a semolina-dusted sheet pan if cooking the same day.
To freeze: Freeze cavatelli in a single layer on the sheet pan until firm, then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Cook directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the cooking time.

Nutrition

Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
Calories: 297
Sugar: 0.3g
Sodium: 0mg
Fat: 1g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 60g
Fiber: 3.2g
Protein: 10g
Cholesterol: 0mg