You say Cavatelli, I say Gavadeels

You say Cavatelli, I say Gavadeels

I have successfully prepared the first recipe from the hundreds I have. I chose to make Cavatelli. This recipe is my paternal Grandmother's, Grandmom Lucy Petragnani. She had passed away by the time I was born so I never prepared these with her but I do have fond memories of making Cavatelli as a child. I used to make them quite often with my Nanny (my mom's step mom). Every time I saw the large wooden board sitting out I knew what we were making.  I remember she had strict rules that needed to be followed in order to help her: 1. I could not have any trace of nail polish on my fingers. She was afraid it would chip and end up in the food 2. My hair always needed to put pulled back so as not to get hair into anything 3. If I was sick I dare not even enter the kitchen!

My nanny meant business and she was serious about her cooking. I am pretty sure the extent of my help with the Cavatelli was kneading but I like to think that my participation was an integral part of the preparation.

I only ever knew this kind of macaroni as "Gavadeels" so I was surprised to find the spelling would make the proper pronunciation "Cah-vah-telli". It appears that there are some other misconceptions about Cavatelli besides how it is pronounced.

Upon some research I came accross a few articles that state that Cavatelli do not contain eggs. This is incorrect! Also despite my childhood beliefs Gnocchi and Cavatelli are not the same thing. Gnocchi is commonly made with potato whereas Cavatelli are made with Ricotta Cheese. Gnocchi are also much denser as you may well know after an encounter with too many of these delicious little pillows.

Now that I have shared my findings with you, I will share my recipe. I will provide 2 recipes the first one is the original and these second is a "healthier" variation. By "healthier" I mean I have tried to add more nutritional value to the recipe.

Original Cavatelli Recipe
1 Level Tsp Baking Powder
1 Pound Ricotta Cheese
4 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Farina
2 Eggs
2 Tsp. Oil

Mix together
Knead until a smooth dough forms
Cover and let rest 30 minutes

Roll into long strips
Cut into small pieces
Roll on strainer

Drop into boiling water and cook until al dente about 6-8 minutes. 

Tips: I boiled some water as I was rolling out the dough to test a few in order to determine if they were the correct size. After a few trials I found it was easier to break off small pieces of dough roll to about a 1/2" long 1/4" thick strip. I then used a butter knife pressed into center of strip vertically and created a dimple in the cavatelli. My mom helped me with this task and her method was to roll into strips, cut, and use her thumb to dimple and roll the cavatelli since this was what she remembers her father doing. Whatever method you decide to use make sure that you make these about 1/2" long and 1/4" thick since they do swell as they cook. 

Modified Recipe

1 Level Tsp Baking Powder
1 Pound Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
2 Cups White Flour
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 Cup Farina
2 Eggs
2 Tsp. Oil

Mix together
Knead until a smooth dough forms
Cover and let rest 30 minutes
Roll into long strips
Cut into small pieces
Roll on strainer.

Note: This variation of the recipe is not as flavorful as the original so you may want to compensate in the sauce or gravy you are serving them in.



These can be served a variety of ways, I chose to make a fresh marinara since I had some fresh tomatoes and basil that needed to be used.

Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, and your recipes!

Buon Appetito,
Lisa