Homemade Cavatelli with Broccoli

Plated broccoli and cavatelli pasta with cheese.

Easy to make homemade cavatelli with broccoli is a simple yet classic Italian recipe dish. These fresh handmade pasta noodles can be frozen for later use to have on hand at a moments notice.

Course supper

Cuisine Italian

Keyword homemde, cavatelli, classic Italian recipe, pasta dough, broccoli

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 5

Resting Time 30

Total Time 48

Servings

Calories 566kcal

Author Marisa

Equipment

Stand mixer or hand held mixer with hook attachment

Ingredients

Cavatelli Dough

400 grams all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1¼ cup hot water from boiled water

Pasta Sauce

4 cups broccoli florets
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling over the finished dish
4 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
fine sea salt to your taste
freshly crushed black pepper to your taste
1 tablespoon flour for dusting a rimmed cookie sheet
grated cheese of your choice I used a vegan Parmesan cheese *see note below*

Instructions

Make the Cavatelli Pasta

Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the hot water with the salt.
Using a stand mixer with the hook attachment, knead until soft ball forms, for about 8 minutes.
Transfer the dough onto a work surface and continue kneading by hand for about a minute while shaping the dough into a round, smooth ball.
When you're finished kneading, cover the dough with cling wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
The resting time relaxes the gluten in the dough and makes it easier to roll and shape.
Sprinkle a rimmed baking sheet with some flour and set aside.
Cut the dough into 8 pieces.
Working with one piece at a time, while keeping the remaining dough covered, roll the piece out into a pencil-thin rope about 1 cm in diameter.
Cut the rope into 2-centimetre pieces.
Use a gnocchi board, if you have one, to make the little caves or indentations in the dough.
If you don't have a gnocchi board, use your index and middle fingers to press down into the dough and swiping towards you. This will create the distinctive crevice.
Transfer the cavatell to your prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

For the Broccoli Pasta Sauce

Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Salt the water and add in the Cavatelli, stir and add the broccoli florets.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium low heat.
Add in the crushed garlic, pepper flakes and a dash of salt and pepper to your taste.
Heat only till the garlic has browned, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Drain the pasta and broccoli while reserving some of the pasta water.
Add the cooked cavatelli and the broccoli to the pot with the oil and garlic sauce.
Toss to mix well and add a ladle or two of the reserved pasta water. Add in as little or as much as needed.
Plate and serve with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of chilli flakes and freshly grated cheese if desired.

Notes

Today you can find "Parmesan style" cheese that is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan. This is wonderful for those with special diets.

One brand I love, and you may want to try, is "Earth Island" Parmesan-style cheese. (please note that this is not a sponsored post and have not been compensated in any way but rather wanted to share a product I have come to enjoy and love since becoming lactose intolerant)

Nutrition