Cavatelli Pasta With Lobster Spring Peas And Mascarpone Food

CAVATELLI WITH GORGONZOLA AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cavatelli and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water, then drain well.
• Meanwhile, add the pancetta and olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the pancetta is crispy, about 8 minutes. Add the shallots and cook another minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and season with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the cavatelli to the skillet along with 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Scatter the Gorgonzola over the pasta and stir to combine. Continue to stir, adding pasta water as needed, until a light creamy sauce is formed. Add the spinach and toss to combine. Cook for another minute, until the spinach is just barely wilted. Serve hot.

HOMEMADE PASTA IN A FOOD PROCESSOR

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to combine.
• With the machine running, add eggs one at a time and blend after each addition. Add olive oil and process until dough looks like a coarse meal that comes together when pressed into a ball, about 10 seconds. Do not over-process. If the dough seems excessively sticky, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, processing just until incorporated.
• Lightly dust work surface and hands with flour. Turn dough out of food processor and knead until elastic and smooth, and no longer sticky, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap or an overturned bowl. Let rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature (or up to 1 day in refrigerator) before rolling. If the dough has been refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for about an hour before rolling and shaping.
• Cut the dough into 6 to 8 pieces. Flatten it into small rectangles to fit through a pasta machine.
• Keeping the dough lightly floured, roll the pieces through a pasta machine set at its widest opening. Keep rolling pasta through machine as progressively narrower settings, forming strips.
• Lay pasta strips on a lightly floured surface and keep covered with towels. One at a time, fold strips into a flat roll and slice crosswise into ribbons. Unfurl ribbons and transfer to a floured baking sheet. Slice lengthwise into long ribbons, about 1 1/2 inches wide, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
• Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 2 to 4 minutes, until al dente. Drain and serve immediately.

BAKED CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
• In a large skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is brown; remove from skillet. Drain.
• In a large bowl stir together pasta sauce, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and the pepper. Add the cooked pasta and the drained sausage mixture. Stir gently to combine. Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole.*.
• Bake, covered, in a 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until nearly heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.
• My card says it feeds 5 to 6, and I say a family of four -- and a sad ol'doggie -- for licking the casserole dish clean -- .

CAVATELLI AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling water, blanch broccoli for about 5 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until lightly golden, being careful not to burn it. Add the broccoli. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Broccoli should be tender yet crisp to the bite.
• Meanwhile, cook cavatelli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and place in a large serving bowl. Toss with the broccoli, and season with salt and hot pepper flakes. Serve with parmesan cheese.

RICOTTA CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Combine the ricotta, eggs and salt in a large bowl, then stir into the flour. Gently combine with your hands to bring together into a dough. Knead the dough together, adding additional flour until the dough is firm and not sticky. Tightly wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Cut the dough into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time, roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into a 1/4-inch-thick rope. With a knife, cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces. Use a bench scraper or your index and third fingers held together to gently press down on each piece, beginning at the top and moving down toward the bottom, dragging the bench scraper toward you and causing the pasta to roll over on itself. Transfer the formed pasta to a lightly-floured baking sheet and let dry at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (At this point, the pasta can be frozen in a single layer and stored in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer.)
• Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until the cavatelli are al dente and begin to float to the top, 3 to 5 minutes.

POTATO CAVATELLI

Steps:

• Boil potatoes unpeeled and send through a ricer to make 2 cups. Alternately, peel and boil, then mash. Mix in butter and milk. Let cool.
• In a sturdy bowl, using a stand mixer with a dough hook, or a wooden spoon or your hands, mix potatoes, oil, salt and eggs until smooth. Work in 2 cups flour, gradually adding more until dough is stiff and not sticky. (The amount of flour needed can vary greatly.)
• Pinch off a ball of dough, roll into a rope about an inch in diameter and cut into 3/4-inch dumplings. On a floured surface, press your thumb against the cut side of each dumpling and press down and away, so the dough flattens and flips up over your thumb. The result should look like a miniature hot dog bun.
• In boiling salted water, cook cavatelli, stirring once or twice as soon as you put them in, for about 5 minutes or until they rise to the top. Alternately, put them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then store in the freezer in a plastic bag. Dumplings will take about 10 to 12 minutes to cook. Top with tomato sauce, pesto or butter and Parmesan.

CAVATELLI WITH SAUTEED BROCCOLI AND GARLIC

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderate heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook it, stirring, until pale golden. Add the broccoli, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the saucepan. Toss with sauce to combine. Serve with the cheese.