Homemade cavatelli pasta, pumpkin ancho cream sauce, smoky garlic shrimp, and shaved manchego.
Cavatelli is an Italian pasta made from eggless semolina dough. The dough is rolled into an oblong bun shape, often using a grooved board. The cavatelli for this dish is made with a mix of flour and semolina. I tried to keep it as simple as possible. So no grooved board today!
The majority of this dish is easy to make, except for forming the pasta. After the dough has been made and rested, divide it into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll each piece under your palms to form a log shape. The log should be about half an inch in diameter. If the log forms unevenly, focus the rolling on the thickest part of the dough. Roll only that part until it is even with the rest of the log. Cut it into half-inch pieces.
Take each piece and press it under your thumb. Rock your thumb from side to side. The dough will begin to curl up around your thumb. Press your thumb forward, away from you. The pasta should curl and release from your thumb. If the pasta doesn’t form properly, gently bring the edges toward each other. The pasta should hold its shape.
I like to press the cavatelli very thin. The dough plumps when it’s cooked. If it is thick, then the texture can be more like a dumpling.
The dough for this pasta should come out smooth, with very little tackiness. I didn’t need any additional flour for forming the pasta. If you do need extra flour, use semolina or a 50/50 mix of semolina and flour.
Shrimp Cavatelli
Ingredients
Cavatelli
- 1 cup semolina
- 1 cup bread flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2/3 cup water
Pumpkin Ancho Sauce
- 2 cup kabocha or butternut pumpkin peeled and chopped
- 1/2 onion rough chopped
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup cream
- 3 cloves garlic large
- 1/2 ancho torn into small pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch sage
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2-1 cup manchego shaved
Shrimp
- 16-20 each shrimp peeled and deveined size 21-25
- 3 tsp garlic minced
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 3/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
Cavatelli
- Mix semolina, flour, and salt. Add olive oil and water. Mix to form a dough and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest 30 minutes. Make the sauce and marinate the shrimp.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Working one piece at a time and keeping the other dough covered, form the dough into a 1/2 inch diameter log. Cut the log into 1/2 inch pieces. Press each piece with your thumb, rocking side to side. Press forward with your thumb to curl and release the pasta. Continue until all pasta has been formed.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for about 5 minutes or until tender. Toss with the sauce.
Pumpkin Ancho Sauce
- Heat a pot with oil over medium heat. Add the onions, ancho, and garlic. Cook until the onion begins to soften. Add the pumpkin, sage, water, and cream. Bring to a boil and simmer until the pumpkin is completely soft. Transfer the pumpkin mix to a blender. Add salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Put the sauce back into a pot and bring to a simmer. Toss with the cooked pasta. Season the pasta with salt and lime juice to taste. Divide the pasta between 4 plates. Add the cooked shrimp and garnish with the shaved manchego.
Shrimp
- Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise. Mix with all ingredients and marinate until ready to cook.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and sauté the shrimp. Arrange the shrimp over the pasta and serve.
