Cavatelli

Type of pasta

Abruzzo
Molise
Apulia

Media: Cavatelli

Dry *capunti*, a variety of *cavatelli* from Apulia

Cavatelli (/ˌkævəˈtɛli/ KAV-ə-TEL-ee, US: /ˌkɑːv-/ KAHV-,^[1]^[2]^[3] Italian: [kavaˈtɛlli]; Italian for 'little hollows'^[a]) 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.

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]

Notes

^ Cognate to English cave and cavity.

References

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

Pasta

Types

Long pastas	Bigoli Bucatini Busiate Capellini Fettuccine Fileja Lasagnette Lasagnotte Linguettine Linguine Mafaldine Pappardelle Pici Spaghetti Stringozzi Stroncatura Tagliatelle Taglierini Tagliolini Trenette Tripoline Troccoli Vermicelli
Short pastas	Calamarata Campanelle Casarecce Cascatelli Cavatappi Cavatelli Cencioni Conchiglie Corzetti Farfalle Fiori Foglie d'ulivo Fusi Garganelli Gemelli Lanterne Lorighittas Macaroni Malloreddus Orecchiette Paccheri Passatelli Penne Pillus Pizzoccheri Radiatori Rigatoni Rotelle Sagnarelli Scialatelli Sedani Su Filindeu Testaroli Tortiglioni Trofie Ziti
Pastina	Acini di pepe Alphabet pasta Anelli Ditalini Fregula Orzo Stelline
Stuffed pastas	Agnolini Agnolotti Pavese Piedmontese Cappelletti Casoncelli Casunziei Cjarsons Culurgiones Fagottini Mezzelune Ravioli Sacchettoni Sorrentinos Tortellini Tortelli Tortelloni
Other or variable	Cannelloni Fusilli Lasagna Occhi di lupo Strozzapreti Vincisgrassi

Cooking

Producers

Italian	Agnesi Bertagni Barilla Buitoni De Cecco La Molisana Poiatti Rana Rigo Voiello
American	National Pasta Association A. Zerega's Sons, Inc. C.F. Mueller Company New World Pasta American Italian Pasta Company V. La Rosa and Sons Macaroni Company