Cavatelli with Seafood

Cavatelli with seafood is a delicious dish that blends the tradition of Italian fresh pasta with the flavors of the sea. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g of fresh or dried cavatelli
• 300 g of mussels
• 300 g of clams
• 200 g of squid, cut into rings
• 200 g of prawns, shelled
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 200 ml of dry white wine
• 400 g of cherry tomatoes
• Chopped fresh parsley, to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• Fresh red chili or chili flakes (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the seafood: rinse the clams and mussels well, discard any that are open or damaged, and leave them to purge in salt water for about an hour to remove sand. Clean the squid and prawns if they aren’t already.

2. In a wide frying pan, sauté the finely chopped garlic in extra virgin olive oil, with a piece of chili if you like a spicy touch.

3. Add the mussels and clams, cover with a lid, and cook over high heat until they open (discard any that remain closed).

4. At this point, deglaze with white wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the squid and cook for a few minutes. Then, add the prawns and cherry tomatoes cut in half. Adjust with salt and pepper and let cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the seafood is well cooked and the cherry tomatoes are slightly wilted.

5. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring a large amount of salted water to a boil and cook the cavatelli following the instructions on the package, or until al dente.

6. Drain the cavatelli and transfer them to the pan with the seafood sauce, mixing gently to blend the flavors well.

7. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot.

Curiosity

Cavatelli is a type of pasta very widespread in Southern Italy, especially in Molise and Apulia. They are perfect for holding sauces and condiments, especially seafood-based ones, as their concave and ridged shape excellently captures the juices and flavors. In many regional variants, you’ll find cavatelli also made with durum wheat semolina or burnt wheat flour, typical of the South that gives peculiar flavors and coloring.