Grandma Mary's "Gavadille" Pasta

I can vividly recall standing beside my grandma in the kitchen watching in awe as her fingers moved so swiftly, making easy work of the soft dough. These rolled cushions would then be laid out on the plastic-lined table, sprinkled lightly with flour and covered with a damp towel. My sisters and I would anxiously await the final product, “gavadille,” to be boiled, laden with “gravy” and cheese, and scooped onto our plates. They still live up to the memory. - Gina P., Brooklyn, NY

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups Unified Mills All Purpose Flour, plus more for dusting and lining pans
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp Oil

Note: Optional -- A cavatelli and gnocchi pasta board. This small wooden board with grooved lines adds grooves to the pasta shapes. The grooves tend to hold the sauce onto the pasta nicely when eating.

DIRECTIONS

  • Add flour and salt to a large bowl. Using your hands or a glass, or measuring cup, make a well in the center of the mound.
  • Add the eggs and oil, then with a fork gently scramble the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour. As the dough starts to come together, use your hands or a silicone spatula to continue mixing and form a shaggy dough.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 7-10 minutes. After about 7 minutes, if the dough still feels too sticky, sprinkle with a bit more flour and continue kneading. If the dough seems to dry, sprinkle a bit of water onto the dough ball and continue kneading. The dough should be smooth and elastic
  • Pull and roll the dough on the counter to form a ball. Wrap it in plastic and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes. At this point, if you are not using the dough right away, place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
  • Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment and sprinkling with flour and set aside. Remove wrap. Using a bench scraper or knife, divide the dough into 4 balls. Keep the remaining balls covered with a damp towel while working with each ball.
  • Using bench scraper or knife, cut one ball into smaller pieces. Roll each piece into a long log. Cut the log into smaller 3/4”-1” pieces. With a pasta board or simply the table surface, use your thumb to press and roll each piece. Start by placing your thumb atop the dough, press gently, then rock the dough slightly towards you and then push away from you adding a bit more pressure. This curls the dough into a crescent shape.  
  • As you work each ball, place finished cavatelli onto prepared pans in a single layer, dust lightly with flour and cover with a slightly damp towel. Continue working each ball in same manner.
  • When ready to eat, boil pasta in a pot of salted water. They will begin floating after a few minutes. Taste pasta after about 10 minutes. You want the texture to be soft and pillowy, not dense. This is one fresh pasta you don’t want to be too al dente. They can take about 15 minutes to cook thoroughly. Drain cooked pasta, add to favorite sauce and serve immediately.
  • Freeze any uncooked pasta in air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
*This pasta can be used to make other shapes like linguine. After it has rested and been divided, roll out each piece to desired shape. You can use a pasta machine or rolling pin and a pizza cutter or knife. Just a note though, thinner fresh pasta shapes will take much less time to cook!