Returning to Luxembourg after my visit to the U.S., I couldn’t stop thinking about a dinner I shared with friends at La Notte in Oak Park, Illinois. It felt almost serendipitous that my last blog post was inspired by memories of Rome, and this one brings together those same memories with my recent visit to Chicago and the years I spent living in Oak Park.

Like Rome, Oak Park, in it’s own smaller way, has a rich history. Just west of downtown Chicago, it’s known for Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio and as the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway. Visitors come from around the world to experience its architecture and literary history. But for me, it’s also a place filled with friendships and memories that have stayed with me long after I moved away.

At dinner, I ordered Eight Finger Cavatelli with house-made sausage, garlic, and rapini. I enjoyed it so much that I came home determined to recreate it in my own kitchen.

Rather than trying to duplicate the dish exactly, I turned to Roads to Rome for inspiration. The cookbook’s Cacio e Pepe recipe uses the traditional technique of emulsifying Pecorino Romano with hot pasta water in a warm metal bowl. I loved the method and used it as the foundation for my own version. Instead of the traditional tonnarelli, I chose homemade cavatelli because its ridges and elongated shape do such a wonderful job of catching the silky cheese sauce. I then added browned sausage, golden slivered garlic, a drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil, and a generous sprinkle of Grana Padano. It isn’t a traditional Cacio e Pepe, but I enjoyed bringing together inspiration from different regions of Italy to create this dish. Served with garlic bread and a glass of red wine, it was everything I had hoped it would be.

I enjoy discovering recipes, learning new techniques, and then making them my own. Sometimes that means bringing together ideas from different places and different memories to create something entirely new.

It was also my first time making cavatelli. Like every pasta I’ve made since moving to Luxembourg, it became another lesson in adapting to European flour. This dough, made with semolina and water, took some experimentation before I found the right hydration, but once it came together, rolling the ropes and shaping each piece was almost zen-like. They weren’t all perfect, but they didn’t have to be.

As much as I appreciated the meal at La Notte, it was only part of what made the evening memorable. The best part was spending time with friends, catching up, sharing stories, and creating new memories around the table.

That’s what I love most about food. It has a remarkable way of connecting places, people, and moments in our lives.

Food is the root from which everything grows.

Eight Finger Cavatelli Cacio e Pepe with Sausage and Garlic

Inspired by the Eight Finger Cavatelli at La Notte in Oak Park, Illinois, this recipe combines homemade cavatelli with the cacio e pepe technique from Roads to Rome. Finished with Italian sausage, golden garlic, and Grana Padano, it’s my interpretation of a memorable meal shared with friends.

Serves 4

Eight Finger Cavatelli

Ingredients:

300 g semolina (400 g if using European semolina)
175 ml water

Method:

Mix the semolina and water in a bowl until the dough comes together. Add more water, one teaspoon at a time, if necessary. Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until smooth. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

Cut off a small piece of dough and roll it into a long rope about the width of your finger. Cut the rope into 2-inch pieces. Using both hands, pull each piece toward you to create the traditional cavatelli crevice. Place the shaped pasta on a lightly semolina-dusted tray. Let the cavatelli rest for 1 to 2 hours before cooking.

Cacio e Pepe with Sausage and Garlic

Ingredients:

4 to 6 oz aged Pecorino Romano, finely grated
2 oz Grana Padano, finely grated
1 lb fresh cavatelli
6 Italian sausage links, casings removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 garlic cloves, thinly slivered
Olive oil, if needed
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned and cooked through, breaking it into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Remove the sausage from the pan, leaving the rendered fat behind.

If needed, add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, add the slivered garlic, and cook until lightly golden. Remove the garlic from the pan and reserve both the garlic and the infused oil.

Place the grated Pecorino Romano in a warm metal mixing bowl.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the cavatelli and cook until they float and are al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.

Add the hot pasta to the bowl with the Pecorino and toss immediately. Gradually add the reserved pasta water, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts and forms a smooth, creamy emulsion. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and add additional pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Divide the pasta among serving plates. Top with the browned sausage and golden garlic, drizzle with the reserved garlic-infused oil, and finish with a generous sprinkle of Grana Padano. Serve immediately.