Cavatelli with Mushroom Sauce (or How to Make Pasta with a Sushi Mat)

Cavatelli with Mushroom Sauce (or How to Make Pasta with a Sushi Mat)
Cavatelli (the pasta):
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260g semola flour (next best is semolina, next best is unbleached all-purpose)
40g whole wheat flour (can be replaced with more of your main flour)
175g water at 170F (77C)
Put the flour mix and water into the food processor or stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Run the machine until a dough just comes together. Get it out onto a clean (unfloured) surface and knead for a total of 8 minutes (longer is fine). It will be sticky in the beginning and might require scraping off the counter, but should become completely smooth and not sticky very quickly. If after 1 minute of kneading the dough is still sticking, knead in flour 1 Tbsp at a time. Even if the dough feels great after 2 min, make sure you still knead for 8. Sprinkle the dough with flour, wrap in plastic, and rest at room temp at least 30 min and upto 5 hours.
If you want to make the dough completely by hand, here is a video that shows how to bring the wet and dry ingredients together using the well method: • Kneading Sticky Bread ...
Shape the dough as shown in the video. If serving the same day, cover with a towel and let sit until ready to cook. Or put in the freezer for 2 hours on a sheet until hard and then collect into a freezer bag.
Cook in generously salted boiling water. I use 65g salt for 6.5 quarts (6 L) water. If you want to finish cooking pasta in the sauce, undercook it slightly. After they float, they should take about 1 min, but make sure to taste frequently.
Mushroom Sauce:
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28g dry porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
500g of fresh chopped mushrooms* (keep each type of mushroom separate before cooking)
¼ cup olive oil (divided)
½ cup dry white wine (divided)
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter
Grated parmesan to taste
2 Tbsp chopped parsley and chives
Put porcini mushrooms into a heat safe bowl. Add 2 cups of boiling water and let sit for 1 hour.
Set a large deep skillet over high heat and add 2 Tbsp of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sturdy mushrooms (like portabellas) and a pinch of salt. Have a lid handy. Add 1/4 cup of dry white wine and cover immediately. Let the mushrooms cook for a couple of minutes to release their moisture. Uncover the pan and wait for all the moisture to evaporate. Add the flimsy mushrooms (like maitake, shiitake, etc), another pinch of salt and another 2 Tbsp oil. Keep cooking on moderately high heat, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are nicely brown.
Take the pan off heat, and get the mushrooms out onto a plate.
Add a 1/4 cup of dry white wine to the pan. Strain the porcini liquid through a damp paper towel lined colander into the pan (I discard the porcini for reasons described in the video, but that’s up to you). Bring your porcini liquid to a simmer. This is a good time to boil your pasta (see the pasta instructions above).
Add the cooked pasta to the porcini liquid. Cook on low heat stirring constantly until the sauce barely starts to thicken. Taste for salt and if you need more, splash in some pasta cooking water or just add salt directly. Stir in 1/3 cup of heavy cream and let everything simmer for a minute. Keep tasting all along, but don’t season it all the way yet since the sauce will continue to reduce.
When the sauce is thick enough that a spoon leaves a trail, add 2 Tbsp of butter, a generous sprinkling of parmesan, the mushrooms, parsley, and chives. Stir it all together and taste carefully for salt. Keep adding pasta water to make the sauce a bit runnier than you would ideally want because it will continue to thicken for a couple of minutes as you serve the pasta. Serve immediately.
*In the video, I used portabella, maitake, and shiitake mushrooms, but you can use whatever mushrooms you want.
Pasta Grannies Video on Cavatelli: • How to Make Cavatelli ...
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[@CasadaVovóedoVovô]

Good night from Brazil Helen. Your movie cavatelli is "the best" . Very wonderful. Thanks my darling. Kisses from grandmother in Brazil. God bless👏👏👏

[@aritin5259]

Can’t believe I’ve never thought of this! Handy for gnocchi too :)

[@蕾蕾厨房]

Yeah. great for gnocchi too.

[@jjdawg9918]

Other than stuffed pastas like ravioli and tortellini, I have a hard time justifing making pasta from scratch anymore...but meditation...now you have me! Right along with baking bread

[@Dreamtime-Walker]

Well- Explained! 😍

[@gianfrancobolla6658]

Helen I love the idea of just using the liquid. I'm going to use it to make fresh pasta. Grazie ciao franco

[@richgoldstein4494]

Made this tonight and it was as wonderful as wonderful can be. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

[@rosesperfumelace]

Oh wow what an ingenious idea using a sushi mat! Perfect!!! 👍❤💋

[@jeanmm2996]

Looks really good. I like the way you bring it all together.

[@elizabethslack3612]

This video creates a complete dish. Thank you!

[@tessx1159]

Thanks Helen, never a boring video!

[@mwmac]

I made this recipe tonight. Used porcini, portabella, crimini, shitake and morels. This makes an outstanding meal! Thank you!

[@HowToCuisine]

Looks incredibly good! 😍😍😍

[@ryangorey8639]

My boyfriend and I had a great time making this to celebrate Labor Day weekend - thank you so much for the excellent recipe!

[@TheEydaos]

This looks delicious. We'll be making this over the weekend!

[@Passionforfoodrecipes]

Very cool pasta rolling technique! There are just so many pasta-bilites here!

[@jrdube]

ON NO YOU DI'INT.....lol

[@kelsiecat4]

Thanks for the detailed instructions! Making cavatelli tonight 🤤

[@Locomaid]

I make a very similar sauce but add a small amount of shallots and a small sprig of whatever fresh herbs I have (thyme, often). I absolutely it!

[@vasiliyzbaratskiy737]

Subscribed... so informative and not rushed

[@toddellner5283]

I used your sushi mat technique for gnocchi. It worked perfectly.

[@safahmie]

I used my new pan tonight I absolutely love this new pan It's not as large as the one I normally use so it made my whole entire milk come out differently. Took twice Islam to make this meal in a smaller pan.

[@jennwaldmann4340]

Maybe this recipe will get me to finally like mushrooms!

[@mudit5151]

You never fail to amaze me..

[@justinfowich6662]

Excellent video.

[@theOkra95]

Thanks for all the great videos!

[@notesfromleisa-land]

Helen, could one simply run the semolina through a high powered blender to make a finer grind? I use my Blendtec to make confectioner's sugar and grind my coffee. I also make oat/rice flour in it.

[@adampockaj3157]

That looks soooooooo goooooood

[@GunnyArtG]

Yum

[@johnenrightjr31]

So inspiring!

[@Tmotley01]

Wow, that looks so good!

[@paolorogato2026]

wowww underrated video

[@charlesslade3855]

That maitake mushroom is impressive! Where do you source your mushrooms from? (I am also in the greater Boston area.)

[@barry4967]

In an earlier cavatelli video, you rolled the rope to 1/4" diameter and cut to 2/3" lengths. Here the diameter is 1/2" and the cuts are shorter. Maybe these wind up fatter? If this way is better, why? Love all your videos--Thanks.

[@carlozanotto8307]

Rimacinata means milled another time

[@Dryermalt]

That was a beautiful hen of the woods. Does your grocery store sell them like that or was it foraged?

[@helenrennie]

my store sells them.

[@Tokyonipon123]

genius!!!

[@greymcgloon5495]

Lovely recipe, I can't wait to try! Is it possible to make campanelle by hand (without an attachment, really)?

[@helenrennie]

apparently it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnzbf3pneb6antE They are using egg dough in this video.

[@bofyllgraf4028]

Wow! this not only a great recipe, but also a very good idea with the sushi mat! Can they be frozen after shaping with a good result?

[@helenrennie]

yes, they freeze great. freeze on a cookie sheet and once they are hard, move them to a freezer bag. Cook directly from frozen.

[@bofyllgraf4028]

@@helenrennie thank you so much for answer and your awesome channel!

[@etherdog]

Nice tip on the sushi mat, Helen. But what percentage of salt is "heavily salted water" for the pasta? Is it 1% or more? With the Parm and the salt added to the mushrooms, it seems like 1% (the standard) would be sufficient. (Sorry to keep harping on this issue, but I think it is important.)

[@helenrennie]

the full recipe with the amount of salt in the water is in the description below.

[@bluennbregaint7214]

Wow looks gorgeous thank you! Though I was told that industrial dried mushrooms can contain a very high amount of nicotine, which is why the soaking water should not be used (even though the taste is SO concentrated!). Perhaps you have a tip on how to choose the right dried mushrooms?

[@helenrennie]

That was only reported for some mushrooms from China. that's not normally the case.

[@bluennbregaint7214]

@@helenrennie Great news! Thanks

[@mendymarkowitz1261]

HI Helen, So glad I found your channel. Quick question on the mushroom sauce. Can I use Porccini powder instead of the actual dirty/wormy mushrooms? how and with what qty's. Thanks

[@helenrennie]

I haven't tried making the mushroom broth with powder. In case you are wondering if the powder would be clean and not wormy -- it's not. It's usually made from low grade porcini that are dried and pulverized into a powder.

[@dannymiles769]

I am SO making this tomorrow. Thanks Helen, this looks incredible ❤️

[@chefevilee9566]

I am not a grain aficionado LOL. But I do grind my own Durum Buchwheat and Kamut for pasta. There is always some sort of bran to sift off. So I think that semolina is the bran of the Durum wheat? I’m on sure? All I know is I have a fine mesh hand flour sifter. I sift the flour and what comes through I utilize to make the pasta with. The other is the semolina? I put it in a container and then use it for the bottoms of certain breads. Or I do have a pasta that utilizes some of it.

[@helenrennie]

i am pretty sure semolina is NOT the bran :) here is a wikipedia article on it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semolina#:~:text=As%20the%20wheat%20is%20fed,is%20then%20ground%20into%20flour. I know it's very confusing because semola means "bran" in Italian, but to make it, bran is removed from flour and only endosperm is ground. it's probably called that for historical reasons.

[@adamchurvis1]

Captain Evie Helen is correct: semolina is NOT the bran; it is a fine grind of Durum wheat that is still too coarse to be classified as a flour. If you are using a food processor then you are not getting a flour, either, as it cannot physically produce a flour due to the way a food processor breaks down material. You need an actual mill, like this one: productivityenhancement.com/mill.mp4 When you pass that result through a fine sieve, what you will be left with is the Germ in the sieve. Bran and Germ cannot be removed by household equipment; it requires a very large commercial array of machines called a Breaker System to perform these operations on the wheat berries. The most you and I can do at home working from wheat berries is to produce a whole-grain flour that includes the bran but sieves-out the germ. Not twenty minutes ago I made some of this pasta using the exact brand of Semola that Helen recommends, and it works much better than anything I could have produced using my mill and a whole lot of tender loving care. Just follow Helen's instructions for the very best results.

[@chefevilee9566]

@@adamchurvis1 oh I do I have a couple mills. But I’ve never had a problem with pasta using the grains that I mill at home. Once I sift it. When I first started making pasta I did leave it whole. Then it wasn’t as good but it wasn’t bad either. Now that I sift it it’s great!

[@adamchurvis1]

@@chefevilee9566 Do yourself a big favor and do this experiment. Make two near-identical batches of your pasta, one using your handcrafted Durum flour, and another using the same recipe but substituting the Semola that Helen uses. Since you mill buckwheat, you are probably very familiar with what does and does not produce Gluten (Buckwheat does not), so take a turn kneading for ten minutes each both batches of your experimental Durum pasta, hydrate for two hours at room temperature, and then roll each to the thinnest setting (if you're using a machine), right out of the wrap. I suggest laminating by folding-rolling about six times to strengthen the sfoglie. Now cut a few square sfoglie from that long strip and par-boil for one minute from each batch separately, quench in ice water, blot excess water on a tea towel, and then play with it a bit with your fingers. Notice the differences in texture. Now fold one from each batch like you would fold a piece of paper and notice the differences in how each one holds up. The batch made with the whole-wheat Durum you milled should be weaker and rougher. Let me know what you observe, and the conclusions you draw.

[@aiaikago]

Why do you freeze them instead of drying them? What's the advantage?

[@helenrennie]

after freezing they taste as good as fresh. if you dry them out, the have a different texture after cooking. if I go through the trouble of making fresh pasta, I want to eat fresh pasta. you can go and my high quality dry pasta in a store.

[@VagabondAnne]

YUM!!!! Do you ever dry these for later? Thanks!

[@helenrennie]

no, but I freezer them.

[@susanbovenzi7231]

Can Cavatelli be stored in the freezer until I’m ready to cook them?

[@thomasgittings5413]

Helen did you ever have any success with making sourdough bread? I remember a few months ago you said in a video that you had a starter going and it would be interesting to see your take on it.

[@helenrennie]

I didn't have any luck with that starter. I read everything I could get my hands on and try every remedy. Although it rose fine, it was very acidic and that level of acidity destroyed the gluten in my dough. The reality of sourdough starters is that you'll have to play with it a lot to get it to work in your environment (or not be very picky about the quality of your bread ;)

[@thomasgittings5413]

@@helenrennie that is a shame. I think I have a similar issue with my starter being too acidic, but it's very hard to pin down what the problem is. I should probably just stick to normal yeast, but I continue with the sourdough out of sheer bloody mindedness. Thanks for the great videos that mean not everything has to be as difficult as sourdough!

[@beethovenjunkie]

@@thomasgittings5413 Try using just a little bit as a flavouring ingredient? I'm not invested enough to figure out "proper" sourdough breads, but putting just a little bit (like, one or two small ladlefuls) in and otherwise using baker's yeast works well for me.

[@bl6973]

@@helenrennie I think what you could do is maybe add a huge proportion of flour and water to the starter

[@susanpremo8068]

Couldn't you just grind semolina bit?

[@helenrennie]

you could (if you have the right equipment and know quite how finely you should grind it ;)

[@PsychoKupcake]

Can you make fresh homemade pasta al dente? And if so, how?

[@afishkiss1836]

Just taste it earlier in the cooking process and when it has the chewiness you like, then take it out. When I've made pasta with semolina flour it tends to be a chewier pasta generally speaking anyway. (I use regular semolina flour that has that larger grain, I Don't know if that makes a difference because I've never made it with a finer grain she's using.)

[@yay-cat]

I just gave up sugar and pasta and bread. Ok I’ll have a cheat weekend and restart on monday ;P

[@helenrennie]

That's the spirit :)

[@BaFunGool]

Why rehydrate mushrooms in water’? Always trying to get water out of them. Myself would’ve use beef/chicken broth.

[@tonyflamingo3285]

Fork?

[@ignominia]

semola is pronounced with accent on the e not on the o... ;-) quality of porcini is due to its provenance, the market hs been swamped with porcini from China which does not come to mind as the culturally traditional source for those mushrooms, hence the grit and worms... Italian porcini are more expensive and hard to find now, Rumanians or eastern european are a second best source for this mushroom ...

[@bl6973]

My mom would kill me if i used her sushi mat, back to the fork I go

[@johnbiswanger4292]

Just try adding some sage to your sauce

[@JohnNathanShopper]

Hello

[@y2ksw1]

The worms are the only way to make a vegetarian eat meat without complaint 😀

[@shimoza8103]

First

[@Pjayysan]

I love your videos 😊

[@蕾蕾厨房]

Me too. she explained very well.

[@蕾蕾厨房]

It's so cool. gonna try this one .

[@JimmieJim]

Once again, I find myself coming back to this lovely recipe! Quick question - wouldn't adding the pasta water act as a thickening agent versus making the sauce more liquid, as described at the 9.50 mark? Thanks again Helen, you were integral during my pasta journey

[@y2ksw1]

I make pasta for the same reason ... but I make it also because I want to become an expert and for that I have to make it as often as possible 😊

[@crivensro]

Yummy! Thank you very much for such a gorgeous pasta recipe!

[@beethovenjunkie]

I'm excited to try this one. I used your water based pasta recipe for chicken soup, and I got my partner to like it for the first time!

[@jaimehyatt7977]

Oh this sounds so good. Will be planning on making soon.

[@alexandersebela370]

You're genius! :D