Molise and southern Italy generally — cavatelli are documented throughout Molise, Basilicata, and Campania. The name derives from cavare (to hollow out) — describing the finger motion that creates the shape.
Cavatelli are small, dimpled pasta shells — rolled from a simple semolina-and-water dough and shaped by dragging a small piece of dough across a board with two or three fingers to create a shell with a concave interior. They are the everyday pasta of Molise, Basilicata, and Campania, served with the local ragù: a slow braise of mixed pork (ribs, sausage) and lamb with tomato, pecorino, and local herbs. The dimple in the cavatello is functional — it holds the dense ragù inside. The combination of the rough semolina texture and the fatty, long-cooked ragù is one of the most satisfying pairings in southern Italian cooking.
The rough, dimpled surface of cavatelli holds sauce more aggressively than any smooth pasta shape. With the pork-and-lamb ragù, which is fatty, tomato-forward, and intensely savoury, the combination is deeply sustaining. The pecorino finished on top adds salt and sharp dairy contrast. This is mountain pasta — built to feed shepherds.
The dough: semolina rimacinata and warm water (roughly 500g semolina to 200ml water) — stiffer than a pasta dough made with flour and egg. Knead 8-10 minutes until smooth. Rest 30 minutes. Roll into ropes, cut into 1.5cm pieces. To shape: place a piece cut-side up on a wooden board and drag toward you with 2-3 fingers applying slight downward pressure — the dough curls over the fingers and creates the characteristic shell with dimple. Cook in boiling water 4-5 minutes (slightly longer than fresh egg pasta). The ragù: slowly brown pork ribs and lamb pieces, add tomato, wine, and aromatics, braise for 2 hours minimum.
The traditional shaping board is rough-textured (grated terracotta or ridged wood) — the roughness creates the characteristic ribbed exterior of the cavatello that holds sauce. A gnocchi board (rigagnocchi) works well. Cavatelli freeze well after shaping — freeze on trays before bagging. The ratio of pasta to sauce in Molisano tradition is different from northern Italy — the sauce is assertive and plentiful.
Dough too wet — cavatelli won't hold their shape during shaping if the dough is soft. Not applying downward pressure when dragging — without pressure, the dough folds rather than curls into the shell shape. Under-cooking the ragù — the pork and lamb must be fully braised and tender, falling apart; 1-hour ragù lacks the depth.
Oretta Zanini de Vita, Encyclopedia of Pasta; Slow Food Editore, Molise in Cucina