Cavatelli

Cavatelli (/ˌkævəˈtɛli/ KAV-ə-TEL-ee, US: /ˌkɑːv-/ KAHV-,^[1][2][3] Italian: [kavaˈtɛlli]; Italian for 'little hollows'^{[lower-alpha 1]}) are small pasta shells made from semolina or other flour dough,^[4][5] commonly cooked with garlic and broccoli or rapini broccoli rabe, or simply with tomato sauce. A variant adds ricotta cheese to the dough mix.^[5] Another variant with seafood is very popular in seaside cities and villages.

Cavatelli

Uncooked cavatelli
Type	Pasta
Place of origin	Italy
Region or state	Abruzzo Molise Apulia
Media: Cavatelli

Dry capunti, a variety of cavatelli from Apulia

A dish of cavatelli

Regional names and varieties

Many varieties and local names of cavatelli exist, including gnocchetti, manatelli, orecchie di prete (lit. 'priest's ears'),^[6] strascinati, truoccoli; capunti, cingule, minuich, rascatelli, zinnezinne (Basilicata); cantaroggini, cavatieddi, cecatelli/cicatelli, cecatidde, cortecce (lit. 'tree barks', Salerno),^[7] mignuicchi, strascenate, tagghjunghele (Apulia and Campania); pincinelle (Marche); cavatielle, 'ncatenate, cazzarille, ciufele (Molise); cavasuneddi, cavatuneddi, gnucchitti, gnocculi (Sicily),^[8] and pizzicarieddi (Apulia).^[6][9]

A particular variety of cavatelli is typical of the comune (municipality) of Teggiano, in Campania, where they are referred to as parmitieddi. Parmitieddi are larger than cavatelli and flat-shaped. They are obtained by rolling a stick dough with three fingers of one hand, instead of with a single finger as done for the common cavatelli. Parmitieddi are usually served as a first course on Palm Sunday because their shape, similar to that of a tree leaf, recalls that of a palm.^[6]

See also

Media related to Cavatelli at Wikimedia Commons

• Italy portal
• Food portal

• List of pasta

Notes

1. Cognate to English cave and cavity.

References

1. "cavatelli". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
2. "cavatelli" (US) and "cavatelli". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021.
3. "cavatelli". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
4. "Cavatelli". marcellinaincucina.com. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
5. "Pasta Shapes". Cook's Thesaurus. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
6. De Vita, Oretta Zanini (2009). Encyclopedia of Pasta. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 73, 195. ISBN 9780520944718.
7. Oliver, Jamie (2018). Jamie Cuisine l'Italie. Paris: Hachette Pratique. p. 132. ISBN 978-2017042839.
8. Hildebrand & Kenedy 2011, p. 70.
9. Zanini De Vita 2009, pp. 73, 195.

Sources

• Hildebrand, Caz; Kenedy, Jacob (2011). Géométrie de la pasta. Translated by Salsa, Patrice. Paris: Marabout. ISBN 9782501072441. OCLC 762599005.
• Zanini De Vita, Oretta (2009). Encyclopedia of Pasta. Translated by Fant, Maureen B. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-94471-8. OCLC 558881171.