We make them from scratch and they are very easy then turn it into a cheesy casserole.
The dough is light and the pasta is very delicious with the addition of Italian tomato sauce and baked in the oven smothered in melted mozzarella cheese.
Sometimes we even layer it with ricotta cheese between the pasta and use a loose meat bolognese sauce.
These are my favorite homemade pasta in our home.
A Classic Favorite!
This is a traditionally baked cavatelli with cheese. You can also make a meat version for meat lovers also and layer this like a lasagna without Ricotta or with it.
One thing I like to do at the end is broiling the top of the cheese to get it crispy.
If you bake it to get it crispy it takes too long and I am not fond of mushy pasta. If you then bake it longer.
Some Tips for Baked Pasta Recipes
- Don't overcook the pasta it will finish in the oven
- Add crushed meatballs or fried loose sausage as a layer for an all-meat and pasta casserole
- Layer with ricotta cheese in between (sometimes we do meat and cheese)
- Don't skimp on whole milk mozzarella shredded cheese it's the best and holds the casserole together
- Use a grated cheese like Pecorino Romano or Parmesano Reggiano.
Ingredients You Will Need To make Baked Homemade Cavatelli
- cavatelli homemade or store-bought in the frozen section of your supermarket
- tomato sauce homemade or store-bought
- mozzarella cheese
- parsley, garlic, salt, pepper
- Optional: ricotta cheese
Some Recipes We Love
Traditional Homemade Tomato Sauce
Cavatelli with Broccoli
Tuscan Garlic Bread
Pin for later
Baked Homemade Cavatelli
Yield: 8
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 45 M
This is a baked style pasta casserole. The cavateli is cooked then baked and then topped with melted mozzarella cheese and sometimes layered with ricotta like a casserole.
ingredients:
- Italian tomato sauce or store-bought at least 3 cups
- granulated garlic
- parsley chopped
- shredded whole milk mozzarella slices around 1 pound
- around 1/2 cup grated cheese
- salt, pepper
- 2 lbs. Homemade Cavatelli or store-bought
- cooking spray
- Optional layer: Mix 1 small container whole milk Ricotta Cheese add salt, pepper, and parsley with 1 tablespoon granulated garlic and 3 tablespoons grated cheese
- Optional additions: crushed meatballs and sausage place in between the layering of pasta and you can also
instructions:
How to cook Baked Homemade Cavatelli
- In a heavy-duty 13 x 9 pan, spray the bottom with cooking oil.
- Place some of the cooked and drained cavatelli on the bottom of the pan.
- Add around 1 cup of tomato sauce.on top of the pasta then sprinkle lightly with mozzarella, grated cheese, parsley, granulated garlic powder, salt, pepper.
- If using a layer or mixed ricotta spread that on top.
- Add more pasta, do the same and repeat but if using meat, add that to this layer.
- Top with more sauce and mozzarella ending on top with pasta as your last layer with a generous amount of grated cheese sprinkled lightly with parsley and granulated garlic.
- Bake around 25 minutes until cheese melts, and for a crispier top of mozzarella, broil on HI for 1 minutes watching carefully it doesn't burn.
Baked Homemade Cavatelli Pin for Later
Homemade Cavatelli Recipe
More Recipes We Love
Chicken Potatoes Pizza Style Casserole
Mac and Cheese Chicken Casserole
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch
Eggplant Casserole Recipes
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2016. It was edited and re-published in 2018.
