91yr old Margherita makes 'cazzellitti' cavatelli and greens from Abruzzo | Pasta Grannies

91 years old Margherita from the wonderful remote village of Scanno shares her recipe for 'cazzellitti con la foje'. A note about the name cazzellitti. The shape in other parts of southern Italy has all sorts of names, but most commonly understood for non Italians is cavatelli; hence I have also referred to them as this. Margherita once or twice called them gnocchi; this term is sometimes used for non potato pasta forms in various parts of Italy. Gnocchi can mean lump (Livia tells me). Call it what you will, cazzellitti are an easy pasta to make, and this is a great early spring dish which feels like it's doing you good. You will need:
300g 0 flour, 150ml tepid water, a pinch of salt
800g or so of 'chewy' greens: kale, cime di rapa,
1 garlic clove, 30g anchovy fillets (good quality). Omit and add leeks or onions if you want to make it vegan.

[blipblip]

No cutting boards for these wonderful old grannies! They all use their "nona knives" against their thumbs-and with great skill to never be injured! Fantastico!!

[moishglukovsky]

These are what my grandmothers, mother, and now I make -- sometimes with potato, other times without. We'd typically call them "gnocchi" with potato and "cavatelli" without, but as you said, they're all basically lumps of dough. We put the divot in the same way Margherita does.

I've also seen them made with flour and boiling water, rather than room temperature water. I imagine that develops the gluten more quickly and so can be more easily rolled out.

Bravissima, Vicki!

[judithlehman]

It's difficult to explain just how much these Grannies and your documentation of them means to me. They are a joy to watch and "meet". Your work is so valuable to us!

[fabioborgogno]

Finally an old lady saying that now life in better. A smart woman. ❤

[canchero]

I'd have believed it without question if you told that she was 60! This is the most young looking 91 year old I've ever seen.

[fas]

Beautiful lady from a beautiful Italian mountain town which just happens to be my maternal ancestral town.

[jonesbub]

The grannies always make me smile and Margherita definitely gave me a big smile! Her rustic pasta recipe with such simple ingredients made my mouth water! Great video, Margherita! ♥️🤗

[rskye]

"Lots of olive oil" is they mainstay of Pasta Grannies. Hearing it as well when the Nonnas ask if y'all are going to eat some is like a warm hug.

[erosamuk]

The patience and the beautiful complexion of a saint! God bless you, Margherita!! Bless you and all your family!

[cats]

My family is from Montebello Sul Sangro (formerly Buonnanote) in Chiete, so any time I get to see something spotlighting Abruzzo culture and food I'm overwhelmed. My father's family left in the diaspora at the start of the last century and I didn't get to learn much about my culture first hand, we always ate Cavatelli growing up, but I have a gluten allergy so I can't anymore, this brought back wonderful memories. Grazie Margherita!

[patriciavincent]

What an amazing treasure this woman is. A true “contadina”. ❤️

[robc]

How wonderful! The tradition…the wonderful food…and the WONDERFUL MARGHERITA!! Grazie Margherita

[duckmama]

I LOVE seeing the traditional dress and the preserving of culture. These Abbruzzo episodes are my favorite!

[salut]

We use these greens in the Syrian/Eastern Mediterranean countryside. We cook it with olive oil and garlic or onion and add lemon or we just cook it with these triangle shape dough things (kinda like pasta) or burgul, also with olive oil and garlic/onion. The similarities across the Mediterranean are fascinating. This lady reminds me so much of my grandma who used to go out into the wild to pick these leaves ❤️🌸

[GB-ugpc]

Margherita’s style of cooking is what we grew up on in our “Italian American” home. Abruzzese influence predominated daily life; no less in the kitchen. The scents of Margherita’s garlic, oil and anchovies filled my mind of scenes from our kitchen in 1960s Upstate NY and woke my senses to the distinct odor of the sautéd greens. Nothing wasted - even the water was recycled. These videos are treasures - and testament - to the strength of these wise women of little words but deep devotion to their families and culture. Thanks for another amazing edition of Pasta Grannies!

[scottamori]

Another four-star episode! Margherita is 90? I am dumbstruck again and such a gorgeous setting, too. Thanks for continuing to find and highlight these ladies. They are true cultural treasures.

[annettecinquemanifalbo]

What a beautiful woman and still with such amazing skills in the kitchen! And 16 cows a milking! What a memory! Gosh she says it's better now for her than 50 years ago! And to think people nowadays are trying to go back in time and do the very things that she was doing 50 years ago, and it was hard then for her and her family.. and today life is so much easier.. People today have no clue!

[matthewbrick]

Wow! How wonderful! ❤ I am so excited Pasta Grannies has gone to Scanno! Brava Margherita! ❤ This is my family's home town, and I have made this dish many times. I love it. Only no fish for me, because I am a vegetarian. I made this for one American friend, and he was amazed that these greens, and broccoli raabe are actually delicious when cooked the proper way. He always had had them cooked like spinach and thought them way too bitter. He has been converted. I recently made pasta with a group of three other friends, men, who had never made any before. We used the hand crank machine that clamps to the table to make cazzellitti (cavatelli). Then, we made these by hand, just as Margherita does. One friend really applied himself that day, and after making a few, he mastered the movement, and became like a junior pasta granny. You really can do this too. What your wonderful camera work shows, but Margherita does not say, is that the texture should be a little bit like bark. It should gently ridge or ruffle on the side you draw against the board. This is different than classic Abruzzese potato gnocchi, which are pretty smooth. (They look like little fingers, and I always thought they called gnocchi after nocche - knuckles) These cazzellitti are thinner and curled and have a texture on the outside that makes for a beautiful mouth-feel. You should definitely form them against a wooden pasta board, or cutting board if you have one. Some people say, that depending on what your board is like, you should draw them against the grain of the wood to help give them the desired texture. Thank you for documenting Margherita's masterpiece, and for sharing it with us! ❤

[CassBlast]

It’s honestly so nice to hear ONE elderly person who feels that life is better now

[arezouniqu]

Mia cara, spero che tu sia sana e benedetta, cara madre, con tanto amore e rispetto. Sono Arzoo iraniano e Teheran è la mia città natale🥰👆🙏👏