Cavatelli con Rucola e Patate

Name: Cavatelli con Rucola e Patate
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Molisana
Ingredients: 400 g fresh cavatelli; 300 g Potatoes; 150 g wild rocket; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes; 15 g Fine sea salt; 50 g pecorino molisano

A rustic inland Molisano dish of cavatelli pasta boiled together with diced potatoes and peppery wild rocket, finished with garlic, chilli, and olive oil.

🇮🇹Italy· Molise

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 490 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

400 g fresh cavatelli — durum semolina pasta
300 g Potatoes — peeled and diced into 1.5 cm cubes
150 g wild rocket — washed and coarsely chopped
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — Molisano extra virgin preferred
3 cloves Garlic — peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes — peperoncino
15 g Fine sea salt — for the cooking water and seasoning
50 g pecorino molisano — finely grated, or aged Caciocavallo

Equipment

•large pot
•wide frying pan
•colander
•wooden spoon
•chef's knife

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 490 kcal
fat: 16 g
carbs: 74 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 14 g
calories: 490 kcal

Instructions

1
Bring a large pot filled with four litres of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
2
Drop the diced potatoes into the boiling water and cook for five minutes.
3
Add the fresh cavatelli into the boiling pot alongside the cooking potatoes.
4
Cook for three minutes until the pasta rises towards the surface.
5
Add the chopped wild rocket to the pot and boil everything together for two minutes.
6
Meanwhile, warm the extra virgin olive oil, sliced garlic, and chilli in a frying pan over low heat.
7
Fry gently until the garlic softens and turns pale golden, then take off the heat.
8
Reserve one small ladle of starchy pasta water from the main pot.
9
Drain the pasta, potatoes, and rocket thoroughly in a colander.
10
Tip the drained ingredients into the pan with the warm garlic and chilli oil.
11
Pour in the reserved pasta water and toss briskly over medium heat until glossy.
12
Transfer to warm bowls and finish with a generous grating of Pecorino Molisano.

Chef's tips

Cut the potatoes into uniform small cubes so they soften at the same rate the cavatelli cooks. Use wild rocket rather than mild salad rocket if available, as its robust bitterness cuts through the starchy potatoes.

Ingredient substitutions

fresh cavatelli → dried cavatelli or orecchiette, adjusting boiling time by cooking the dried pasta before adding potatoes
Pecorino Molisano → aged Caciocavallo, Pecorino Romano, or omit entirely for a vegan preparation
wild rocket → cicoria selvatica or young dandelion greens

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat in a wide frying pan over medium heat with a splash of water and a drizzle of olive oil until piping hot.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Cutting potato cubes too large, which leaves them hard while the pasta overcooks.
•Burning the sliced garlic in hot oil, which turns the entire dressing unpleasantly bitter.
•Discarding all the cooking water, preventing the starch and oil from emulsifying.