Cook Along with Chef Deniz: Fresh Cavatelli with Spicy Lentil Ragu and Peas

Our first ever online cook-along class! Thank you to all who registered, donated to our chefs, or ordered a cook-along kit so you could follow along live. We are still accepting cook-along kit orders for archived classes, so order the cook-along kit for Week 1 with Chef Deniz and follow along on your own schedule.

Fresh Cavatelli with Spicy Lentil Ragu and Peas

Originally presented live as our first ever Cook-Along live class on May 7th at 5:30 PM on Facebook Live.

Ingredients for Pasta Dough:

• 600 gr Tippo 00 Flour*
• 300 ml of water
• 6 gr kosher salt*

Ingredients for Spicy Lentil Ragu & Pea:

• 250gr French lentils, cooked in salted water
• 1 onion, fine diced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, fine diced
• 2 stalks of celery, fine diced
• 100 ml red wine
• 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 5 ml cloves *
• 1 cinnamon stick *
• 250 ml water
• 200 ml cream
• 150gr frozen/fresh peas

Ingredients for Salad, Croutons & Dressing:

• 3 romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed
• 100 ml tahini
• 50 ml lemon juice
• 50 ml water
• 125 ml Well Seasoned olive oil *
• 3 stale slices of sourdough, ripped into 1/2 inch chunks
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 can anchovies, minced (optional)
• Parmesan *

• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. For Dough: Make a well in the flour in a large bowl. Add the water to the well, and start whisking with a fork. Once the mixture becomes together, transfer on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and rest at least 30 minutes. Cut 100 gr chunks out of the dough. Roll into a uniform rope at a diameter of 1/2’’. Cut into 1/2’’ pieces also. Drag over a cavarolo board or work surface pressing with two fingers until it curls itself into a mini boat. Boil in moderately salted water around 2minutes or until they float. Serve with ragu.
2. For Ragu: Combine onion, garlic, carrots, leeks, celery, cloves and cinnamon in a large pot on medium heat with 100 ml olive oil and sauté until soft and vegetables are translucent. Add lentils. Deglaze with red wine, reduce by 1/2. Add water and cream and cook until uniform and pulpy around 2 hours on low heat. Fold in the crushed tomatoes, correct seasoning and cook further 25 minutes on low heat. Fold in the peas and the pasta.
3. For Salad: Preheat your oven to 375F. Toss the sourdough with olive oil, 1 clove of garlic zested and a generous pinch of salt. Transfer onto a baking sheet and cook in. The oven until nice and crispy around 12 minutes. Cut the romaine leaves into desired size. In a separate bowl whisk tahini, lemon juice, garlic, anchovies if using. Season with salt. Gently whisk in the olive oil very gradually until it forms an emulsion. Toss the salad leaves and the croutons in the dressing. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook time: 2.5 Hours