They are called cavatelli to the fray (or cavatielle in dialect) and are a classic pasta format that is used to eat mostly in the central and southern regions of Italy. They are about 4 cm long and have the typical hollow shape, hence the name, which allows them to collect abundant sauce, usually made from tomatoes but often accompanied by vegetables or meat. They are handmade, with durum wheat flour but also with soft wheat flour, and are among the oldest pasta shapes known. They are part of the so-called "dragged" pasta, said so because of the gesture that is made to produce them, which is precisely to hollow the piece of dough by dragging it with one or more fingers on the floured surface.

Mixed, a mixture of flours not only of cereals!

This is what it says in the south, to indicate a set of ingredients that make up a dough, in this case the one for cavatelli. To the classic durum wheat semolina are added barley and some legumes that in the southern regions they are used a lot to prepare soups and purées. Lentils, chickpeas and especially beans, have always belonged to the tradition of popular cuisine of southern Italy, in perfect line with what are the rules of the Mediterranean diet, universally recognized as the best possible diet. To prepare these cavatelli, dried legume flour is mixed with that of durum wheat and barley semolina and the result is a pasta with an important and wrinkled consistency, perfect for accommodating dense and full-bodied sauces based on tomatoes, meat and vegetables.

And now the recipe for cavatelli al melech

Ingredients

For pasta
100 g durum wheat semolina, 100 g barley flour, 100 g chickpea flour, 100 g bean flour, a pinch of salt, water.

For the dressing
600 g vine tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, 8 bay leaves, extra virgin olive oil, salt.

Method

Mix the flours and place them in a fountain on a pastry board. Pour lukewarm water and a pinch of salt into the center and start kneading until a soft and compact mass is obtained. Let it sit for at least half an hour. In the meantime, wash and peel the tomatoes. In a pan put a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic and sauté. When the garlic has browned, add the tomatoes and cook for about 15 minutes. Then take the pasta, divide it into loaves and taper them, obtaining sticks a finger wide and 4 cm long. Hollow them with two fingers and boil them in a pot with plenty of boiling water and a pinch of salt. It will take 5 to 7 minutes. When they are ready, drain them, pour them in the pan with the tomato sauce, add the bay leaves and leave to flavor for a few minutes before serving.