Cavatelli with Widower Sauce

Pour the fine semolina on the work surface, add a pinch of salt and gradually incorporate the necessary warm water. Knead until you obtain a dough. a mixture Soft and elastic, without dry patches or lumps. Gather the dough into a compact ball, ready to be rolled out.

Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the dough with the rolling pin, keeping the dough not too thin. The dough must be uniform and firm enough to be cut without deforming; avoid making it too thin, because the cavatelli they must retain a full structure after cooking.

Cut the pastry into strips about one centimeter wide and two centimeters long. Keep the portions regular, so that the cooking will be more even. Work them on the work surface floured and continue until all the pastry is used, leaving no unused scraps.

Take each piece of dough and pull it out with two fingers, rubbing it on the work surface Flour the dough. This creates a small cavity inside and a slightly ridged surface, which are useful for holding the sauce. Continue until you've used all the dough pieces.

Expand the cavatelli Without overlapping them, let them dry while you prepare the dressing. Arrange them on a floured surface so they don't stick together. When they are separated and the surface doesn't appear moist or sticky, they're ready to cook.

Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a earthenware pot and add the lardo, chopped garlic and parsley. Gently sauté gently, without burning the aromas: the lardo It must flavor the oil and become soft, while the aroma of garlic and parsley must be evident and not toasted.

Add the ripe tomatoes, previously washed, deseeded and cut into pieces, then add the basil. Season with salt to taste and freshly ground pepper, and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the sauce is fragrant. Keep the sauce soft; it shouldn't be too thick when cooked.

Bring to a boil plenty of salted water and boiled cavatelliCook them until tender but still firm, checking the texture before draining. The boil should remain high so the pasta cooks evenly without sticking together.

School i cavatelli and season them with the widow's sauce, distributing it evenly over the pasta. Finish with a generous sprinkling of pecorino grated and serve immediately. The dressing should coat the cavatelli, while the cheese adds flavor and intensity to the tomato taste.