3 Cheese Cavatappi Easy Pasta Dish

This dish makes a great side or main dish! Pump up the flavor and add in some steamed broccoli and rotisserie chicken for a heartier meal. Add the cheeses listed in the recipe below or use your own favorites.

What is Cavatappi?

Cavatappi is a macaroni masterpiece! The noodles are are corkscrew-shaped and ridged, so they cling to all that cheesy sauce!

This hearty, rustic shape pairs well with thick sauces (like this cheese sauce) or meaty sauces like a bolognese sauce! The spiral shape will catch all of the sauce in the curves for great flavor in every bite.

This dish is a great way to use up leftovers, add some cooked, chopped bacon, or slices of cooked chicken breast for a heartier dish.

Ingredients and Variations

CHEESE Cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmesan cheese deliver full flavor! Switch it up by using your favorite cheeses; Swiss, Havarti, or mozzarella.

PASTA In case cavatappi can’t be found, choose a pasta with a shape that will hold the cheese sauce. Rigatoni, penne, fusilli are good choices.

SAUCE This is a basic cheese sauce that starts with a roux (butter and flour cooked together). Milk is added and cooked until thick and bubbly.

How to Make Cheese Cavatappi

Cook Pasta – Cook pasta al dente (a little bit firm). Keep in mind it’ll cook a bit more in the oven.
Make Sauce – Meanwhile, saute onion in butter. Whisk in flour and cook. Stir in milk and cream until smooth.
Add Cheese – Add seasonings, remove saucepan from heat, and mix in cheese.
Bake – Combine cavatappi and cheese in a dish and bake until golden and bubbly.

Serve With…

This cavatappi is rich so we love to serve it with something fresh and/or light.

baked chicken breasts
grilled meats
pork chops

Sides

Cucumber Dill Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Favorite Roasted Cauliflower
Cabbage Salad
Easy Kale Salad

Secrets for Success

Once flour & butter are cooked add milk/cream a little bit at a time stirring after each addition. The mixture will be very thick at first.
Once the sauce is thickened remove it from the heat before adding the cheese. Cooking cheese at a high temperature can cause it to separate.
To brown the cheese a bit, turn the oven on to broil for a minute or two before serving.

Creamy Cheesy Pasta

Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Chicken Alfredo Bake
Easy Stuffed Manicotti
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
Homemade Chicken Spaghetti

Did your family love this 3 Cheese Cavatappi? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!