Hand-Rolled Cavatelli with Lamb & Chanterelle Ragu: A Family Tradition
Why Cavatelli is Our Go-To Pasta
There’s something about making pasta by hand that brings everyone together—especially when it’s cavatelli, the shape we eat most in our house. If we’re not making it from scratch, we’re loyal DiCecco fans, but honestly, nothing beats the cavatelli we roll ourselves. We’ve been making these little pasta shells with John since he was two, and now it’s become a tradition, not only at home but as a special atelier project at his school during Italian Heritage Month. That’s the day every kid is genuinely excited for lunch—cavatelli with red sauce, a sprinkle of good cheese, and big, happy smiles all around.
The Simplicity of Pugliese Pasta Dough
Cavatelli dough is second nature to me—honestly, I could make it blindfolded. It’s the same water dough you find all over Puglia: just warm water and flour, no eggs (those are saved for other kitchen adventures). The dough is forgiving, easy to handle, and always yields that perfect al dente bite. Growing up, we called overcooked pasta “mouche à mouche”—but with cavatelli, that’s never a problem.
Cooking as a Family: Passing Down Traditions
What makes this tradition even more special is sharing it with John. No matter what game he’s playing outside, he always drops everything to come help when he sees me making the dough. Cooking together is our thing—it’s hands-on, a little messy, and always a memory in the making.
Tonight’s Inspiration: Lamb, Chanterelles, and Autumn Herbs
Handmade cavatelli with lamb ragu with chanterelles
With fall in the air, I wanted something cozy but not too heavy. I had a pound of ground lamb on hand, and Bonnie had picked up some gorgeous chanterelle mushrooms from the farmer’s market. That’s how tonight’s lamb and chanterelle ragu was born. We gathered herbs from the garden—bay leaves, sage, parsley, rosemary—most of them planted and cared for by Bonnie with John’s help. I love sending him out to pick fresh herbs, even if he sometimes forgets which is which (don’t worry, we always refresh his memory).
Pasta (water based)
Ingredients
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7.05 oz Semolina, fine
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3.53 oz Flour, Caputa fresh pasta
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0.53 oz Olive Oil
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1pinch Salt
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5.29 oz Water, warm
Instructions
- Put the flours in a food processor.
- Add the salt and olive oil.
- Pulse the food processor while adding the water slowly.
- Add the water till the dough comes togheter but a little crumbly.
- Put on the board and work by hand till it forms a smooth dough.
- Cover and let rest of at least an hour.
- Shape into your favorite shapes.
- Lightly flour and set aside.
- You can freeze these for several months. Just put on a paper-lined tray and freeze. Once frozen, put in a plastic bag and keep in the freezer till serving.
Notes
• Our favorite pasta dough recipe, we have made it over a 1000 times.
• You can use all semolina, pasta fresca or 00 Rosso flour. I like the blend I use in this recipe, but I'm obsessed with the texture of the cooked pasta. But you will be just great using only one type. Traditionally, in Italy, it is only the Semolina flour they use.
• You can make so many shapes like orecchetti, maccheroni al ferretto (my absolute favorite), capunti, cavatelli, and so many more; it's limitless.
The Joy of Making and Sharing
Making this dish is a full-circle experience: from growing the herbs, to rolling the pasta, to simmering the ragu low and slow. It’s a dish that’s easy to love, easy to make, and easy to share. If your dough feels sticky, add a little flour; if it’s too dry, a splash more water does the trick. Homemade cavatelli is forgiving—perfect for beginners and pros alike.
Lamb Ragu with Chanterelles
Ingredients
- Soffrito-Pistata
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4 oz Guanciale, Diced
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0.5 ea Sweet Onion, Medium
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1 ea Carrot
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1 ea Celery Stalk
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3 ea Garlic Cloves
- The Ragu
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All Soffrito-Pistata
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1 tsp Anchovy paste
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1 sprig Rosemary
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3 ea Sage
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2 ea Bay leaves
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8 oz Red wine
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28 oz Tomatoes, plum, canned
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1 lb Lamb, Ground
Instructions
- Prepare the Soffrito-Pistata
- Peel the carrots, then dice the carrots, onion, and celery. Reserve half the onion for making the braising liquid.
- Put the carrots, guanciale, peeled garlic cloves, celery, and half the onion in a food processor with the chopping blade and blend to a paste. Scrape down the bowl after a few pulses with the food processor to get a smooth paste.
- Prepare the Ragu
- Put a pan on medium heat and with some olive oil, and a pinch of pepperoncino, then start to cook the pistata.
- Add the other half of the onions and allow them to cook through stirring occasionally.
- Mix 1/3 of the wine with the lamb, it helps it break down into finer pieces and not have large chunks. Add to the pan and brown.
- Remove the rosemary from the spring and chop, add to the pan with the other aromatics.
- Add the anchovy paste and stir in to disolve it.
- Add the demi glace and let it melt in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Deglaze with the remaining red wine and cook it down for a minute or two.
- Hand-crush the tomatoes and add to the pan.
- Add a 3/4 cup of water to the bowl to get the remaining bits of tomato from crushing them.
- Put on a low, slow burner and let it go for about 90 minutes covered and stir occasionally.
- Season to your taste and serve on your favorite pasta shape.
Notes
• YES! We season our food. There are no measurements for salt and pepper in this recipe. Season to your own tastes. We like salt, so what we recommend might be salty.
• You can use any mushrooms you like. Or you can omit them if you're not a fan.
• We suppose you can use an egg-based pasta, don't tell us about it.
• Don't forget to get a good loaf of bread to scrape up all the bits of sauce in your pasta bowl.
Why This Dish Matters to Us
We don’t eat pasta every night, but when we do, we make it count. John loves his red sauce, Bonnie’s partial to orchiette and pasta water and olive oil based sauces, and I try to keep everyone happy (and well-fed). Tonight’s ragu was a hit—so much so that there were no leftovers, not even for next day’s lunch. We made scarpetta with the bread, cleaning the plates until they shone.
Dreaming of La Dolce Vita
For me, these are the moments that make all the hard work worth it. One day, I hope to retire in Italy, cook over a wood fire, and savor the slow, simple joys of la dolce vita. Until then, I’ll keep rolling cavatelli by hand, sharing the tradition with John, and inviting you to join us at the table.
