Create a “well” in the flour heaped up on the table or pastry board. Break the egg into the well, add a pinch of salt and beat it with a fork mixing it with the flour. Add a little water at a time and mix it into the other ingredients thoroughly. Knead for some time to obtain smooth, soft pasta dough. Shape it into a ball, wrap it in cling film and leave it to rest for 10-15 minutes; the dough will become more elastic. After this time break off a little at a time and roll it under your fingers in order to obtain an elongated cylinder; then cut it into 2-2.5 cm pieces.

Now make the Cavatelli by squashing each piece, with your fingers, against the prongs of a fork to make it “hollowed” in the middle with the edges curled up. Leave them well spaced out on a pastry board or on a tray for a couple of hours, sprinkled with flour: thanks to this “rest” the Cavatelli will be more resistant during cooking.

Cook them in boiling, salted water, strain when “al dente” and set aside a ladle of the water they were cooked in. Tip the Cavatelli into a large bowl, add the Pesto al Finocchietto and the ladle of cooking water and mix everything together. Drizzle a little olive oil over them and the, if you like, finish off with some grated Parmigiano or pecorino and... serve!

(*) It’s one of the ingredients in this version of the recipe and gives the pasta a more compact texture. Other versions are prepared solely with flour and water or with the addition of a spoonful of olive oil.