Capunti are a pasta shape that I did not grow up eating, but have come to adore making and enjoying in recent years. As a self-professed fan of thick, chewy shapes, I prefer capunti’s longer and heartier composition to their Apulian cousin, cavatelli. What makes capunti really shine are their quartet of deep, rustic divots, the markings of the forceful yet skilled hands that formed them. Those depressions are elite sauce catchers, yielding consistently exceptional bites in the pasta to sauce ratio department.
Pea Pesto Ingredients
As spring kicks into high gear and the barren trees and fields sprout in green, this dish serves as an ode to nature’s reawakening and seasonal produce. Resembling empty pea pods, it was only natural to come up with a recipe that highlights capunti’s playful form. I immediately reached for pecorino and mint, two classic ingredients that pair phenomenally with peas. Basil, lemon and a grassy extra virgin olive oil, add brightness and depth, creating a sauce that’s pleasantly unctuous yet light. Capunti with Pea Pesto is an earthy, fresh dish that will have you fawning over the flora and long awaited flavors of the season!
Capunti with Pea Pesto.
Capunti with Pea Pesto
Serves 4
For Pasta
2 cups semolina flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4-1 cup warm water
For Pesto
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, grated (reserve 2 tablespoons for plating)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
16-20 basil leaves
16-20 fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2-3/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Capunti Method
On the center of a large wood cutting board, make a mound with the semolina. Form a well in the pile of flour with your fingers.
Add the warm water to the center of the well and use a fork to incorporate the flour and water, starting at the rim.
Continue to incorporate flour until a shaggy dough forms. Kneed and add water sparingly until a cohesive dough ball is formed.
Kneed dough 7-10 minutes until smooth and dough rebounds when pressed. Wrap dough in plastic and rest for 30 minutes.
Once dough is rested, unwrap and using a bench scraper, cut a piece off and roll into ½ inch log.
Cover the remainder of the dough to ensure that it doesn’t dry out.
Measure three fingers width on the rolled log of dough and cut. Roll the cut piece of dough between your hands so that the ends taper.
Place dough onto work surface and press 3 fingers firmly into the top of the dough and roll inwards. Repeat until the entire dough ball is used.
Pesto Method
Pulse all ingredients except the pasta, lemon zest, 1/4 cup peas, 2 tablespoons of Pecorino Romano and crushed Red pepper flakes in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.
In a medium pot, bring water to a boil, salt generously, then add the capunti.
After about 6-8 minutes (al dente), add the cooked pasta and reserved peas to a metal mixing bowl. Add pesto and mix.
Add pasta water and keep stirring until you have a creamy sauce that coats the capunti and peas.
Plate and garnish with more pecorino, lemon zest and crushed red pepper flakes. Serve & enjoy!