Cavatelli Cilentani ai Fagioli
A rustic Campanian dish of hand-rolled semolina pasta tossed with creamy white beans in a light, fragrant herb broth.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Large stockpot
- •Large deep frying pan
- •Wooden pasta board
- •Slotted spoon
- •Kitchen knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 74 g
- fibre
- 9 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Drain the soaked beans and place them in a stockpot with cold water, bay leaves, and rosemary.
- 2
Simmer gently over low heat for 50 to 60 minutes until the beans are soft and creamy.
- 3
Tip the semola flour onto a wooden board, form a well, and pour in the warm water.
- 4
Knead the mixture for 10 minutes until you have a smooth, firm, and elastic dough.
- 5
Cover the dough with an upturned bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- 6
Cut the dough into quarters and roll each piece into a thin rope about 1 centimetre thick.
- 7
Cut the ropes into small nuggets, then drag two fingers across each nugget to create curled cavatelli.
- 8
Heat half the olive oil in a deep pan and gently fry the garlic and chilli until fragrant.
- 9
Stir in the tomato passata, cooked beans, and two ladles of starchy bean cooking liquid.
- 10
Boil the cavatelli in salted water for 3 to 4 minutes until they float to the surface.
- 11
Transfer the pasta into the bean pan and simmer together for 2 minutes until rich and glossy.
- 12
Turn off the heat, stir in the remaining olive oil, and let rest for one minute before serving.
Chef's tips
Never salt the beans at the beginning of cooking, as this toughens their skins. Save all the bean cooking water to adjust the final consistency, which should be brothy yet creamy rather than dry.
Ingredient substitutions
- dried Controne beans → dried cannellini beans or jarred cooked white beans
- fresh rosemary → fresh sage leaves
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of warm water to loosen the broth.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the beans too vigorously, which splits their delicate skins before they cook through.
- •Rolling the pasta ropes too thick, resulting in chewy, dense cavatelli centres.
- •Draining away all the bean cooking liquid instead of using it to emulsify the sauce.
Serving suggestions
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