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Cavatini | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this kid-friendly #pasta #casserole includes spaghetti sauce #pepperoni, #mozzarella cheese & #glutenfree rotini noodles. So easy & delicious.

Cavatini

Teresa Ambra
Cavatini is a fantastic Italian pasta dish that's quick, easy, economical and kid-friendly. This one uses ground beef, pepperoni, spaghetti sauce, rotini, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. This is great for company or potlucks.
4.12 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Pasta Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6
Calories 443 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 8x12" glass baking dish (it may also fit in a 9x9" glass baking dish)
  • 1 large Dutch oven with lid
  • 1 hamburger chopper to cut meat down in small pieces while frying
  • 1 colander
  • 1 large skillet
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • aluminum foil

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. 93% to 96% lean ground beef cooked and drained
  • 32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce or your favorite spaghetti sauce
  • 8 oz. box Rotini noodles cooked and drained (I used gluten free pasta but any kind can be used)
  • 3 oz. pkg. pepperoni sliced
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded, as needed
  • 4 to 6 oz. Mozzarella cheese shredded, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Heat a Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil.
  • Boil rotini according to package directions.
  • Drain in colander; transfer noodles back to Dutch oven.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown beef.
  • Use a hamburger chopper to cut meat down in small pieces while frying.
  • Drain any grease.
  • Add cooked beef, pepperoni, and spaghetti sauce to the noodles in the Dutch oven.
  • Stir well to combine.
  • Transfer mixture to an 8x12” baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.
  • Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.
  • Cover with foil.
  • Bake about 30 minutes at 350°, or until mixture is bubbly.
  • Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese and heat an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
  • Allow casserole to sit out 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

NOTE: You can add ½ chopped green pepper, ½ medium onion, diced, and a 4-oz. can sliced, drained mushrooms if you desire more of that flavor. Or you can buy spaghetti sauces that have those ingredients.
 
NOTE: Be careful to watch the cheese so it doesn’t dry out or burn on top. About 5 minutes is really all the Mozzarella cheese needs to melt sufficiently.
 
NOTE: I usually double this recipe and spread it into a deep dish lasagna-type baking dish.
 
NOTE: Many store-bought spaghetti sauce products are down to 24-ounces now. You need a full 32-ounces of spaghetti sauce to make this recipe as the noodles absorb a lot of spaghetti sauce.
 
NOTE: Gluten free noodles are slightly more fragile than regular noodles so take care not to overcook them. It's better to cook them al dente rather than all the way through.
 
NOTE: Corkscrew, rotini and dumpling noodles seem to work the best for this recipe.
 
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 32gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 1257mgPotassium: 863mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 855IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 208mgIron: 4mg
Keyword cavatini, ground beef, main dish, pasta, pepperoni
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!