Barley Cavatelli Pasta
How to make Barley Cavatelli Pasta
Making barley cavatelli pasta is therapeutic. This tender, cheesy, and easy-to-make pasta is a particular treat, and especially delicious when served with the Duck Ragù. You will not find this pasta on any of the shelves of a grocery store. This is a Home Brew Chef original. If you still need another reason to make this recipe, think about the last time you had fresh pasta, been awhile? With one single bite, you’ll be thankful that you did!
Makes: enough pasta for 6 – 8 entrée servings
Recipe adapted from BeerAdvocate Magazine: Cuisine à la Bière | Oct 2016 | Issue #117
A very easy to make pasta dough, flavored with duck eggs, ricotta cheese, barley and all purpose flour, creating a tender, cheesy and wonderful cavatelli shaped pasta.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 guests | 15 minute |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 6 minute | 30 - 60 minute |
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A very easy to make pasta dough, flavored with duck eggs, ricotta cheese, barley and all purpose flour, creating a tender, cheesy and wonderful cavatelli shaped pasta.
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Ingredients
- 2 each eggs, duck, or extra-large chicken eggs, Farmers market fresh
- 15 ounce cheese, ricotta, homemade (recipe here) or store bought, preferably whole milk, not low-fat
- 1 teaspoon salt, kosher
-
1/2 teaspoon
nutmeg, freshly grated on a Microplane Zester/Grater
-
1 cup
flour, barley such as Bob's Red Mill Barley Flour
- 2 - 3 cup flour, all-purpose
Servings: guests
Units:
Instructions
Barley Cavatelli Pasta Directions:
- In a large bowl, add the cracked eggs and whisk until light and frothy. Next, add the ricotta, salt, and nutmeg, whisking to incorporate. Add the barley flour and 1 3/4 – 2 cups of flour evenly over the top of the liquid mix.
- Gradually knead the mixture to form a dough. The texture of the dough should be soft, not sticky. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. Once the pasta dough comes together, roll it onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough until it’s smooth and slightly elastic. This will work the gluten to give the pasta a chew and bite. Knead the dough, adding more flour if it gets sticky, for about 3 – 4 minutes. Wrap the pasta dough with plastic wrap to let the flour hydrate while the gluten relaxes for 30 – 45 minutes. Sprinkle some of the remaining flour on your hands, rubbing them together to remove any dough that might be stuck to your fingers.
- Let the pasta sit uncovered at room temperature for 30 – 60 minutes to dry slightly. This will help it hold its shape as it cooks. While the pasta dough is resting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Making Cavatelli Pasta with a Fork:
- To make the Cavatelli shaped pasta the old fashioned way; cut the dough ball into quarters, wrapping the remaining dough in plastic while working with one quarter at a time to prevent the rest from drying out. On a lightly floured work surface, work the dough into a rope shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough rope with a knife or dough scraper into 1/2 inch pieces. Using the back of a large fork positioned with its tines on the work surface to create a hump, take a single piece of pasta dough and roll it from the top of the fork’s hump to the tines. Push down lightly with your fingertip, creating ridges on the outside while the dough folds onto itself. Repeat this step with each piece from the first quarter, then continue this same procedure for the remaining quarters of dough. This is cavatelli: similar to gnocchi, but with ridges for the sauce to stick to and hold on to better. Place the finished pasta in a container (a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan works well). Allow it to sit uncovered while shaping the rest of the dough.
Making Cavatelli with a
- Cut the dough ball into quarters, wrapping the remaining dough in plastic while working with one quarter at a time to prevent the rest from drying out. On a lightly floured work surface, work the dough into a rope shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Much like using a fork (above), a pasta board with grooves, creates ridges on the finished pasta, allowing the sauce to help hold onto the cooked pasta better. Take a single piece of pasta dough and roll it from the top of the pasta board towards the bottom. Push down lightly with your fingertip, creating ridges on the outside while the dough folds onto itself. Place the finished pasta in a container (a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan works well). Allow it to sit uncovered while shaping the rest of the dough.
Making Cavatelli with a Machine:
- If you have a Cavatelli Maker Machine
, you can use it to shape your pasta dough. Cut the dough ball into quarters, wrapping the remaining dough in plastic while working with one quarter at a time to prevent the rest from drying out. On a lightly floured work surface, work the dough into a rope shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Put this through the cavatelli machine, cranking the gear, forming the shape, and capturing the finished pasta in a container (a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan works well). Allow it to sit uncovered while shaping the rest of the dough.
, you can use it to shape your pasta dough. Cut the dough ball into quarters, wrapping the remaining dough in plastic while working with one quarter at a time to prevent the rest from drying out.
On a lightly floured work surface, work the dough into a rope shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Put this through the cavatelli machine, cranking the gear, forming the shape, and capturing the finished pasta in a container (a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan works well). Allow it to sit uncovered while shaping the rest of the dough.
Making a Gnudi Shape Pasta:
- This dough can also be formed into gnudi, much like a gnocchi. Cut the dough ball into quarters, wrapping the remaining dough in plastic while working with one quarter at a time to prevent the rest from drying out. On a lightly floured work surface, work the dough into a rope shape, about 1/4 inch thick.
To Cook the Barley Cavatelli Pasta:
- This being fresh pasta, will be done in about 6 minutes. Cook in batches, so as to not overcrowd the pasta, and place the cooked pasta into a large bowl. Toss lightly with some of the sauce, and let it sit as the remaining pasta is cooked.
To Serve:
- One might want to make Duck Ragù with Barley Cavatelli Pasta and garnish these cavatelli pasta with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Another option is to toss the cooked pasta in a pesto, garnishing each dish with fresh herbs, toasted nuts (both used in the pesto of choice) and some grated parmesan or asiago style hard cheese. Drizzle the pasta with a touch of good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
Recipe Notes
Other Sauce | Serving Suggestions:
- Try this pasta with the Spring Pesto, but make it with heartier fall greens like kale, chard, or spinach, along with some of the herbs.
- Fry the cooked pasta in a garlic oil, adding some fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
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