cavatelli
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of cavatelli
First recorded in 1940–45; from Italian: literally, “little hollows,” diminutive of cavato, past participle of cavare “to hollow out,” from Latin cavāre, derivative of cavus “hollow, hollowed” + -elli plural suffix; see origin at cave ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And bite-size, bean-shaped cavatelli goes well with shellfish.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025
Many order the meatballs, chicken liver pâté and the fresh cavatelli pasta with hazelnut pesto and pecorino to pair with an Italian wine.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 24, 2024
“It’s not an actual business,” Elucid said over plates of branzino and cavatelli in Queens.
From New York Times • Sep. 26, 2023
It's kind of like cavatelli, but it's not.
From Salon • Jan. 22, 2022
Housemade ricotta cavatelli catches walnut pesto in its ridges.
From Washington Post • Jun. 4, 2020
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
