Cavatelli Con Broccoli e Salsiccia

[pictonguy]

So this was inspired by the announcement that Italian culture is now granted UNESCO status, which is the first time a whole culture as opposed to an ingredient or an application was given this achievement. This particular pasta recipe is from the south of Italy especially in regions like Molise, Puglia, and Campania.

This recipe I put together is for 4 people.

INGREDIENTS:
400g's (14oz) of cavatelli pasta, fresh or dried.
400g's (14oz) of Italian sausage, mild or hot your choice, skin removed
500g's (1 lb) broccoli rabe cut into reasonable sized pieces
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 or 2 chili's diced
Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt & Pepper to taste

METHOD:
Blanch the broccoli rabe in a large pot of salted simmering water for 2 or 3 minutes, This side of al dente, then set aside.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over a medium heat then break up the sausage into smaller pieces (crumbled) and saute until browned and break up bigger pieces.

Using the same blanching water for the broccoli bring that to a boil and cook either the fresh pasta for 3-4 minutes or 8-10 for dried.

Add the garlic and chili to the sausage and allow enough time to release the essential oils and heat, usually a minute or two. Add the broccoli rabe and cook for another minute, toss gently then add the cavatelli pasta and about a 1/2-3/4 cup of pasta water, you will need more later. Mix that until the pasta finishes cooking and the water is then more of a nicely reduced sauce. Now add some more of the cooking pasta water, about 1/4 cup just to loosen the mixture a little and this is to facilitate adding the cheese and do this off the heat and mix to combine until we achieve that nice sauce consistency again and if it's too tight add a little more water.

 

[pictonguy]

I also made this for dinner tonight as well.

 

[Meryl]

Great choice @pictonguy , delicious recipe!
I make my own variants for this one, too.

 

[pictonguy]

Of course you do, your Italian.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Great choice @pictonguy , delicious recipe!
I make my own variants for this one, too.

I think he means cavateddi cu broccoli e sasiccia

 

[pictonguy]

I think he means cavateddi cu broccoli e sasiccia

That's the Sicilian dialect name, basically a translation, it's the same dish. Both are equally delicious. Maybe show us your recipe therefore we can see and talk about the differences, that might help, no?

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

That's the Sicilian dialect name, basically a translation, it's the same dish. Both are equally delicious.

Gee, that must be because I am a Siciliano!

If When I make this, I will most likely use cunchigghi instead of cavateddi because I already have them and the last thing I need is another box of maccaruni in my cupboard!

 

[pictonguy]

Redirect, nice play. I expected that.

 

[pictonguy]

The better question is why you felt compelled to discredit my recipe.

 

[taxlady]

I'm surprised that you don't need more fresh pasta than dry pasta. The liquid in the fresh pasta must mean there is less flour. Or, is the difference too small to matter?

 

[dragnlaw]

He's calling for 14 oz of pasta, I've never weighed fresh pasta vs dry pasta either cooked or not but it seems to me the difference would be, as you say, negligible.
Once cooked, the dry pasta is only slightly larger iin volume to make a big difference.

 

[pictonguy]

I'm surprised that you don't need more fresh pasta than dry pasta. The liquid in the fresh pasta must mean there is less flour. Or, is the difference too small to matter?

Not sure I understand what your trying to say. Fresh can be both with eggs or without and not sure how the liquid factors into it.

I can make fresh pasta without eggs which generally are for the short, shaped pasta like orecchiette, cavatelli, fusilli, trofie, penne and more prevalent in the South of Italy as well.

For example in the North eggs are more plentiful and the wheat is of the soft variety, basically all purpose (AP) and the 00 varieties with less protein as well. In the South of Italy where it's very hot and dry is perfect for durum semolina which Canada also grows in abundance in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and who Italy is a major importer as well. Basically we ship durum to Italy then we buy it back in the stores in the form of dried pasta.

Anyway I really enjoy making eggless durum pasta, although I don't do it very often, which is more about convenience than anything else. I mean am I really going to make better dry pasta, because after I make durum pasta we can dry it and store just like the pasta we buy and the answer is not really, it's not worth the time because eggless pasta really should be made the day before, refrigerated and then left at room temp for at least 2 hours before shaping the pasta and I don't have an extruder so all that pasta is going to be actually hand made, so I'm guilty of not making it as often as I should. Egg pasta is easier to make and can be ready quickly but these are generally for the long, delicate shapes like tagliatelle, fettuccine, pappardelle, lasagna sheets.

if you want to try eggless pasta I can post a recipe and the proper flour to use, if you like.

Pasta is such a nuanced subject and there's so many exceptions to the rule and other rules that shouldn't be broken, etc, that sometimes these culinary “rules” are often regional, rural, and sometimes contradictory which are also part of their charm. I'm still confused over most of it.

 

[pictonguy]

He's calling for 14 oz of pasta, I've never weighed fresh pasta vs dry pasta either cooked or not but it seems to me the difference would be, as you say, negligible.
Once cooked, the dry pasta is only slightly larger iin volume to make a big difference.

No it doesn't matter.

 

[dragnlaw]

I think maybe I understand taxy's question.

when you make pasta, aside from the egg(s) there is maybe 1 or 2 Tbsp of water.
making noodles seems there is generally a lot more.

Difficult judgement to see unless you look up at least 4 or 5 of each type of pasta!

taxy, have you ever made pasta? I've never made 'noodles' per se, but have pasta. With egg, sometimes I need to add a Tbsp of water.

 

[pictonguy]

I think maybe I understand taxy's question.

when you make pasta, aside from the egg(s) there is maybe 1 or 2 Tbsp of water.
making noodles seems there is generally a lot more.

Difficult judgement to see unless you look up at least 4 or 5 of each type of pasta!

taxy, have you ever made pasta? I've never made 'noodles' per se, but have pasta. With egg, sometimes I need to add a Tbsp of water.

Your mixing definitions and it kind of confusing. Your calling flour with eggs and a little water pasta and then your saying when making noodles, which i believe you mean without eggs there is more water? You have that backwards, egg pasta is a noodle basically and without eggs it called pasta but both are also called pasta, yes confusing.

Anyway it doesn't matter if the liquid weight comes from eggs and water or just water, which both of you seem to be getting hung up on, just forget that aspect all together, imo.

 

[Meryl]

Don't worry everyone, you're not the only ones confused, we make pasta in different ways, in every single village, town, city, of the country, that's probably about 8,000!
Precise description by the way, @pictonguy ,you are definitely an experienced pasta maker.

Yes, when cooking fresh pasta (no eggs), I usually increase the quantity a little, in comparison to the amount I'd use for dried, but the difference is not so noticeable, unless you're extremely hungry!

 

[taxlady]

taxy, have you ever made pasta? I've never made 'noodles' per se, but have pasta. With egg, sometimes I need to add a Tbsp of water.

Yes, I have made pasta. I even made it before I had a pasta roller. It's been decades since I made egg pasta, so I don't remember if there was any water involved. But, when I wrote "liquid", I meant eggs or water.

Since dry pasta absorbs more water than fresh pasta does, I had always assumed that you would need more fresh pasta than dry. If I wanted to make two servings of fresh pasta, I would weigh out 160 grams of flour and add water until it felt right. If I were using dry pasta, I would use 160 grams of pasta for two servings.

 

[pictonguy]

I couldn't resist, sorry