Baked Cavatelli
Description
"OMG! My kids complain about most food and eating dinner (they're snack-a-holics) but this casserole is not one of those dinners. When I used to cook this when it was just me and my husband (B.C.), we used to have a ton of leftovers!! However, now there are none, and it's the dog who's most upset.... The sausage you can either get in mild or Spicy and I like to mix both in this dinner. I cook both packs at once, one skillet for each type. Once they are done I take half from the mild and half from the spicy and combine them in one zippy-bag and freeze them (add them to your future Spag&Mtball dinner and WOW!). I got this from a BHG Mag at least 17 years ago (when we first moved in together - May of '89) and just saw this again on BHG.com (my original calls for half of a bag/box of spinach and 1/2 cup of red peppers and onion (I buy frozen in bags to save time or pre-prep your veggies and freeze), each in addition to what is here as well as draining the pasta water over the spinach in a mesh colander to wilt/separate it..I add the spinach to the sauce mix before stirring)... I tell ya, all.. this is a great recipe!"
Ingredients
- 7 ounces cavatelli, wagon wheel pasta could be used instead
- 12 ounces Italian sausage, uncooked links, sliced 1/2 inch thick on the diagional
- 3⁄4 cup onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
- In a large skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is brown; remove from skillet. Drain.
- In a large bowl stir together pasta sauce, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and the pepper. Add the cooked pasta and the drained sausage mixture. Stir gently to combine. Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole.*.
- Bake, covered, in a 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until nearly heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.
- My card says it feeds 5 to 6, and I say a family of four -- and a sad ol'doggie -- for licking the casserole dish clean -- .
