Cavatelli Pasta
Spicy Sun-dried Tomato Butter and Crispy Pancetta
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce pancetta, diced
1 teaspoon shallot, minced
¼ teaspoon garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
basil leaves
1 Roma tomato, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Homemade cavatelli (recipe below)
Spicy Tomato Butter (recipe below)
Sun-dried tomato pesto (recipe below)
• In a sauté pan, heat the EVOO until hot but not smoking. Add the pancetta and sautee until crispy. Add the shallots, garlic and continue to cook until aromatic.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully, drop in the cavatelli and drop until “al dente,” when the pasta will begin to float to the top.
• Add the spicy tomato butter to the sauté pan and bring to a boil.
• Add the sun dried tomato pesto, a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• Drain the cavatelli and add the sauce to the pasta.
• Season to taste, finish with fresh basil, chopped roma tomato, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
• Serve immediately.
Cavatelli Dough
1 ¼ lb all purpose flour
¾ lb semolina
2 ¼ lb ricotta, room temperature
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• In a 5 quart stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the flour, semolina and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• With the motor running slowly, add the ricotta (spoonful at a time) to the mixture until well incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the EVOO together until well blended.
• When all the ricotta has been added, slowly add the egg mixture and fold until incorporated.
• At the end, add the mascarpone cheese and mix until fully incorporated. The dough will be slightly sticky.
• Remove from the bowl and wrap with saran wrap; let rest for 1 hour.
• On a clean, lightly floured cutting board, separate the dough into golf ball size pieces.
• Roll each ball into a long rope, about ½” thick. Cut the dough into ½” pieces. Hold a dull-bladed knife with a rounded tip in 1 hand with your index finger pressed against the blade of the knife. Flatten each piece of dough, dragging it slightly so that the dough curls around the tip of the knife to form a shell shape. Lightly dust with flour and reserve until ready to cook.
Spicy Tomato Butter
8 each fresh Roma tomatoes, halved
½ cup chicken stock
½ carrot, peeled and diced
1 shallot, minced
½ stalk celery, chopped
¼ jalapeno pepper, minced
¼ garlic bulb
¼ teaspoon tomato paste
¼ bunch fresh basil, leaves torn
¼ bunch dill, stems removed
¼ bunch cilantro, stems removed
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons unsalted butter-set aside
• In a large sauce pan, add the Roma tomatoes, chicken stock, carrot, shallot, celery, jalapeno, garlic bulb, tomato paste, basil, dill, cilantro and bay leaf. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil for approximately 10 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the pan and pass it through a china cab using a slotted spoon. Press the mixture along the side to extract the flavor.
• Incorporate the butter with a hand blender and set aside.
Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
2 each sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water
½ garlic clove, minced
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
In a blender, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and EVOO. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and blend until it forms a smooth paste.
