Cavatelli (/ˌkævəˈtɛli/ KAV-ə-TEL-ee, US: /ˌkɑːv-/ KAHV-,[1][2][3] Italian: [kavaˈtɛlli]; Italian for 'little hollows'[a]) are small pasta shells made from semolina or other flour dough,[4][5] commonly cooked with garlic and broccoli or rapini broccoli rabe, or simply with tomato sauce.

Many varieties and local names of cavatelli exist, including gnocchetti, manatelli, orecchie di prete (lit.

'priest's ears'),[6] strascinati, truoccoli; capunti, cingule, minuich, rascatelli, zinnezinne (Basilicata); cantaroggini, cavatieddi, cecatelli/cicatelli, cecatidde, cortecce (lit.

'tree barks', Salerno),[7] mignuicchi, strascenate, tagghjunghele (Apulia and Campania); pincinelle (Marche); cavatielle, 'ncatenate, cazzarille, ciufele (Molise); cavasuneddi, cavatuneddi, gnucchitti, gnocculi (Sicily),[8] and pizzicarieddi (Apulia).

[6][9] A particular variety of cavatelli is typical of the comune (municipality) of Teggiano, in Campania, where they are referred to as parmitieddi.