Marrying a Sicilian meant that Sicilian Baked Lolli were on the table every Christmas. A labor of love combined with tangy tomato sauce, chunks of meat and a touch of broccoli.
If you like baked pasta, then you will love my recipe for rigatoni al forno and riso al forno.
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Making this dish brought back memories of my beloved mother-in-law, God rest her soul, who made the most delicious meals with few ingredients. This baked Lolli dish was definitely one of the family favorite dishes made with 2 simple ingredients: flour and water.
This was my first time making this dish from what I remember and from picking my husband's brain.
In a Calabrian family, Christmas means we'll be having a lot of Scalille glazed in honey, Turdilli made with wine, Pitta 'Mpigliata and Pasta with Anchovies. If you haven't tried one of these recipes, now is your time to savor recipes inspired by Italian tradition.
Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- traditional dish you can pass on from one generation to another
- delicious flavor
- packed with protein
- feeds a crowd
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How to Make Sicilian Baked Lolli
Truly a labor of love, this dish can be made over several days, starting with the sauce.
In a large skillet, on medium heat, sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Season meat with salt and pepper and add meat to skillet. Sear on both sides. (meat does not need to be fully cooked).
Add tomato passata and basil leaves. Bring to boil and then simmer covered on low heat for about 45-60 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Set aside until you are ready to use sauce.
Place flour in a bowl or on the counter and add a little bit of warm water. Add the olive oil and combine the ingredients gently using your fingertips or a spatula. Continue to add water until you get the consistency of a dough you can roll.
Cut a small piece of dough from and roll it out until you get a long strip of dough about ¼" to ⅓" in diameter.
Roll lolli in the palm of your hand and roll to about 2 inches long, narrow on ends and stubby in the middle.
Place lolli or cavetelli on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel that is dusted generously with flour.
In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil and boil the lolli for about 2 to 3 minutes or until they start to rise and move with the water.
Scoop lolli from stock pot in to a baking dish and mix with meat sauce.
Add the broccoli. Cover with foil and bake at 350℉ for about 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately with your favorite grated cheese.
Storage: Leftover baked lolli can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Warm up in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little bit of oil and sauce if you have it.
Top Tips
Don't overwork the dough. It should be soft and you should be able to handle it without it being to sticky.
Cook the sauce for about 45 minutes or until the meat is tender.
Sauce and lolli pasta can be made ahead of time to cut down the preparation time.
Substitutions and Variations
Different regions prepare Lolli or Cavatelli differently, here are a few options:
- Fava Beans - instead of making sauce with meat, make a sauce with fava beans. Lolli with fava beans is actually an Italian favorite
- Vegetables - add other colorful vegetables, like purple cauliflower or carrots.
- Vegetarian - eliminate the meat for a vegetarian option.
- Spice - add chili oil or hot pepper flakes to give your dish some spice
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Traditionally cavatelli are made from semolina flour, however you can use all purpose flour to make them as well.
If you don't have cavatelli on hand, you can use rotini pasta, orecchiette, or gnocchetti.
No, there is no egg in lolli or cavatelli pasta.
Desserts to Try
Recipe Details
Sicilian Baked Lolli or Cavatelli
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic sliced and crushed
- 12 oz italian sausage cut into medium size pieces
- 12 oz beef or veal stewing meat cut into chunks
- 24 oz tomato passata or tomato puree
- 3 basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Lolli
- 3.5 cups all purpose flour or semolina flour
- 1.5 cups water warm to touch
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour for rolling and dusting
- 1 lb broccoli cut, steamed, boiled or sautéed
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- In a large skillet, on medium heat, sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Season meat with salt and pepper and add meat to skillet. Sear on both sides. (meat does not need to be fully cooked).
- Add tomato passata and basil leaves. Bring to boil and then simmer covered on low heat for about 45-60 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Set aside until you are ready to use sauce.
Lolli Pasta
- Place 3 cups of flour in a bowl or on the counter and make a well in the center. Pour half of the water and olive oil into the well. Working from the centre, use your fingers or a spatula to gently pull in a little bit of the flour at a time. Continue to add more flour until you get a a sticky but workable dough. Don't over mix the dough otherwise it will become gummy and dense. You want a dough you can work with that is soft but you can handle.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface using ½ cup of flour. Knead the dough incorporating the flour on the surface to avoid it sticking to your hands. Once you are able to roll the dough into a ball, let it rest covered with a bowl on the counter for about 30 minutes.
- Place a little bit more flour on the surface and some on the dough and roll out with a rolling pin to about ¾" thick. Cut a long strip from the dough about ¾" wide and as long as you want. A dough scraper comes in handy to lift the dough from the surface. Keep any unused dough covered with plastic wrap so that it does not dry out.
- Using a knife cut ¾" x ½" pieces from the long strip. Sprinkle flour on top and take each small piece and roll it between the palms of your hands thinning it out on the sides. You'll need approximately another 1 cup of flour for dusting and rolling.
- Place lolli or cavetelli on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel that is dusted generously with flour.
- Continue the process of making the lolli until all the dough is finished. I usually cover the dough with plastic wrap as I'm rolling so that the dough doesn't dry out. Once finished making the lolli you can leave them on the counter to dry out or place them in the fridge lightly covered until you are ready to use them.
Assembly
- Prepare a baking dish with some of the meat sauce placed on the bottom.
- In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil and boil the lolli for about 2 to 3 minutes. until they start to rise and move with the water. Don't forget to salt water. Using a spider strainer scoop lolli out of the pot into a baking dish a little at a time adding more sauce and mixing.
- Once you have cooked and mixed the lolli with sauce add any remaining sauce and meat. Add the broccoli. Cover with foil and bake at 350℉ for about 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately with your favorite grated cheese.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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