Hand rolled cavatelli with broccoli, anchovy, chili and garlic
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
Pasta:
100g semola rimacinata
100g “00” flour
100ml tepid water
2 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil
The dish:
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 crowns of broccoli, chopped up into small pieces (stem peeled and chopped up as well)
1/2 cup water
4-6 fillets good quality tinned anchovies, chopped
1 long red chili, stem and seeds removed and chili chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or 1 stem or green garlic, finely minced
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon or 1/2 meyer lemon, finely diced
To garnish:
parmiggiano reggiano
Method:
To make the pasta dough, mix the “00” flour and semola together and place onto a benchtop or wooden board. Make a well in the middle and add in the water and olive oil. Stir with a fork and then eventually knead together with your hands. Knead for about 5-10 minutes until the dough is very smooth. Wrap in clingfilm or place in a small sealed container and leave to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Cut the dough into about 16 pieces and roll those into long logs or snakes that are about 1/2 cm wide. Working with one log at a time and keeping the rest under a damp tea towel, cut into 1cm lengths and using a cavatelli board or the back of a fork or even just on the bench itself, take one piece and press it with your thumb against the board or bench and roll it downwards or away to form a little lip and push grooves into the dough. Toss with extra semola rimacinata and set aside in one even layer.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
In another large pot set over medium high heat, add the broccoli with a good pinch of salt and cook for about 3-4 or so minutes until it begins to brown. Add in the water and allow the water to simmer and completely cook out so they broccolii is frying again. Add in the chopped anchovy fillets (less if you dont want anochovy flavour but use all 6 if you want to taste the anchovy), chili and garlic and sizzle together for a couple of minutes. At this point the broccoli should be mushy and soft, if not, cook a minute or two longer.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 1-2 minutes until al dente but cooked and then reserve about 100ml of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
Add the cooked pasta, the pasta water, the lemon (zest and juice or chopped meyers) into the pot with the broccoli and stir to combine. Place this pot over medium high heat if you turned it off and cook everything together for about a minute until the “sauce” coats the pasta and its nice and glossy. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt if needed.
Divide into bowls and garnish with grated parmiggiano reggiano.
