(Cavatelli with rocket & olives - Authentic Italian recipes)

800 g (1 3/4 lb) fresh cavatelli
100 g (3 1/2 oz) stoned black olives
300 g (10 1/2 oz) rocket (arugula)
2 garlic cloves
100 g (3 1/2 oz) grated ewe's cheese
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Chili pepper
Salt

Time:
preparation: 30 minutes plus resting time for pasta dough
cooking: 20 minutes
Difficulty:
medium difficulty
Nutrition Facts (amount per serving):
Calories: 522 (kCal) 26 % GDA - 2183 (kJ)
Protein: 15.0 (g) 30 % GDA
Total fat: 23.6 (g) 33 % GDA
Total carbohydrate: 66.5 (g) 24 % GDA
Sugars: 3.5 (g) 3 % GDA

Fresh pasta dressed with olives, rocket and pecorino cheese.
This is a very simple recipe; it has more difficulties if you want to prepare pasta at home.
Clean and wash rocket very well. Let it boil in abundant salted water together with cavatelli.
Meanwhile chop olives and garlic cloves and let them fry lightly in olive oil and chilli pepper. Fry over a low heat in order not to brown these ingredients. When you switch off the gas remove the chili pepper.
Drain pasta and rocket and pour into a large bowl; add the sauce with olives and garlic and then grated ewe's cheese. Stir and serve at once.

Note

- Many people don't like garlic. In this case you can use the whole garlic cloves and remove them from the sauce before dressing your pasta. But you can substitute it completely with chopped anchovies in oil (2 tablespoons) and capers in vinegar (2 tablespoons): the flavour is different but the dish is very tasty too!
- If rocket is tender, you can vary the recipe. Boil cavatelli until al dente stage. Meanwhile let olives, garlic and chili pepper fry lightly in a non-stick frying pan and cut rocket into thin pieces. Drain pasta and pour it into the pan together with raw rocket. Let the ingredients flavour over a high heat for few minutes, stirring, and serve.
- If you have time, you can make cavatelli by yourself. Follow our suggestions!

What's the right wine?

Our suggestion is: Salice Salentino Rosato (rosé wine from Apulia - Italy).

A little history

This kind of fresh pasta is well known in the south of Italy: Basilicata, Apulia, Calabria. Generally these dumplings, made with durum-wheat semolina and cold water, are also dressed with turnip tops or with matured ricotta cheese.