PALM SUNDAY CAVETILLI

Every Palm Sunday, my grandmother on my dad's side, or my dear mother would make homemade Cavetilli...I remember my dad and mom telling me about the first time my mother made Cavetilli...she didn't know how much flour to use, so she prepared her pasta using 10 lbs. of flour.....She ended up filling every nook and cranny, every top of all the beds, everywhere possible in her house with all the Cavetilli's she had to make with the 10 lbs. of flour. They laughed about it for years!!!!!

HOMEMADE CAVETILLI:

16 OZ. Ricotta cheese
2 Eggs
pinch of salt
3 cups Flour (not 10 lbs. :)

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl, (or some use a bread board)...make a well in the center and add the eggs and ricotta cheese. Incorporate the ingredients well. If dough mixture becomes to sticky, add more flour until it is dry to touch, and easier to work with, but do not over-add the flour. Lightly flour a working surface. Turn the dough mixture onto a floured working surface and continue to knead the dough until it is smooth. Cover the dough with a clean towel and let rest for aprox. 15 minutes. Once the dough has rested, divide into pieces. Re-flour each piece and roll into a long rope about 1/2 inch thick. Now cut the rope into 3/4-inch "little"nugget" with your fingers or fork tip and roll downward. this will give you a shell-like shapped peice of dough. Place the finished cavetilli on a floured pan until the process has been completed with all of the remaining dough.
Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil - add the finished cavetilli carefully to the boiling water and stir completely to avoid sticking. Reduce the heat to a slow boil and cook the cavetilli for 5-6 minutes or until desired tenderness is atttained. Drain the cavetilli thoroughly using a colander and serve immediately with your favorite sauce and sprinkle top with grated romano or parmesan cheese....Bon Apetitte!
(I also love cavetilli with broccoli and grated cheese)