My Nonna Anna was one of those Italian grandmothers who was an extraordinary cook. The smells coming from her kitchen were divine, and I'm convinced that the aroma of her homemade bread and sauces are what heaven smells like. My favorite of nonna's dishes was her homemade cavatelli. And I learned from her that cavatelli is the name of the pasta, not the the goulash-style meal that some restaurants associate it with. Instead, cavatelli are light handmade pillows of pasta dough, lovingly rolled one-by-one on a cheese grater to make a dimpled shell. I loved nonna's cavatelli so much that when I went away to college and switched schools at the last minute, she laughingly accused me of making the change on purpose so I could enjoy two going-away cavatelli dinners. A couple of years later, on one of my visits home, she quietly beckoned me to follow her into the kitchen. And started making cavatelli.
Since Nonna Anna used no recipes, I watched intently and commited everything she did to memory. I didn't want to take the time to write the steps down, and didn't want to miss a single second of the experience. I felt honored that she would show me her signature recipe, and to this day, I feel it was one of the special moments of my life.
CAVATELLI ALLA MOLISE
Serves 2
1 recipe All-Purpose Pasta Dough
1. After pasta dough rests, roll out on a floured work surface into a square shape about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into strips of about 1/4-inch. Roll each strip between your palms to make round 'snakes'. Cut each round strip into 3/4-inch long pieces.
Cut dough into strips
Roll strips between your hands to make 'snakes'
Cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2. Take each piece and roll on the medium-fine side of a box cheese grater. Just bunch your fingers together in the center of the pasta piece and roll down the grater. This will cause the dough piece to thin out and curl into a dimpled shell.
Roll each piece on a cheese grater
Dimpled cavatelli shells, ready to cook
3. Cook cavatelli in a large pot of boiling salted water 5-7 minutes. Check a piece to make sure the dough is cooked thoroughly, but don't overcook. Top with your favorite sauce.