My Aunt Norma gave me this recipe, and my husband and I love it! Easy to substitute your favorite ingredients like a can of drained black olives.
This is an excellent cavatini! Changes: I use much less pepperoni and add 1 lb of Italian sausage. I cook the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms with the sausage and add a can of sliced black olives, drained. I use rotini pasta only and mix it in with the meat sauce, I hate naked pasta. I mix the ricotta and 2 cups mozzerella together and add a beaten egg. Then put half the pasta mixture in the pan, then half the cheese mixture, the remaining pasta and then remaining cheese. I put an additional cup of mozzerella on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. Add garlic toast and a bottle of red wine and you've got a festive and FUN dinner. Bueno!
Read MorePerhaps my expectations were too high. I was hoping for that delicious dish I remember Pizza Hut serving when I was a kid. Unfortunately, this didn't come close. I ended up with an expensive flop because there was no where near enough sauce and I didn't trust my instincts, but followed the recipe instead. I wound up with a pan full of very dry baked ziti-ish stuff. If I make this again, I will definitely double the non-meat part of the sauce. I will also leave out the ricotta because it was terrible in this. Perhaps, instead, I'll add cream cheese.
Read MoreThis is an excellent cavatini! Changes: I use much less pepperoni and add 1 lb of Italian sausage. I cook the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms with the sausage and add a can of sliced black olives, drained. I use rotini pasta only and mix it in with the meat sauce, I hate naked pasta. I mix the ricotta and 2 cups mozzerella together and add a beaten egg. Then put half the pasta mixture in the pan, then half the cheese mixture, the remaining pasta and then remaining cheese. I put an additional cup of mozzerella on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. Add garlic toast and a bottle of red wine and you've got a festive and FUN dinner. Bueno!
I'm Janice, the submitter of this recipe. Just wanted you folks to know that you can add 2 more cups of pasta to stretch this recipe (as it was originally written). Howled when I read the comment about taking off the plastic wrap of the pepperoni...did the same thing the very first time I made it!!!
If I could give this more stars I would, my husband and I loved this!!! I added a pound of Italian sausage. I really liked how the cheesy mixture sticks to the noodles. Sooooo good! It took me about 1 hour and 30 minutes to assemble everything. I like to pick meals that allow me to cook once on the weekend and then take leftovers to lunch. I get tired of taking sandwiches. This will make a great leftover. Thank you for the great recipe.
My family loved this recipe. The only change I made was I browned some ground beef and added it to the sauce. Made with Italian Herb bread I from this site and served with a nice salad. Thanks!!
This is a great recipe for using up those 'nearly empty' boxes of pasta that hang around in the cupboard - I used small shells, macaroni and campanelle. It's also incredibly easy, and tasty too! If I made this again, I would add extra-sharp Cheddar to the cheese mixture - it was just a little bit on the bland side. Thanks for the recipe, Janice!
The pasta in this casserole has a great creamy texture, and the sauce is great- especially the pepperoni. Cottage cheese worked well as a substitution for the ricotta.
love this recipe. i always make two so i can freeze one for later. you will find this recipe very easy to adapt. often i will make a veg. version with zuccini and mushrooms. *****
This was FABULOUS!! My whole family LOVED this, I can't wait to make it again...I didn't change a thing!! Thanks!
Delicious! The pepperoni adds enough spice to ensure a good kick. Although I found the recipe only made enough for 6 servings.
Made this for Valentines day and it was GREAT. Will have to use a more flavorful tomato sauce next time, and I used sweet Italian sausage instead of the pepperoni, but with the way it came out, I'm ecstatic about trying it with the pepperoni!!!
This is a great Pizza In A Casserole recipe. Anything and everything you like on a pizza can be included. You might be tempted to leave out the tomato paste, DON'T. It really is necessary. I have made this for years and kids and adults both love it.
This is a GREAT recipe. The only thing I do differently is adding frozen chopped spinach drained. Totally yummy!
This was very good. Men love this. Next time though, I will remove the plastic wrap from the pepperoni before adding it.
If you love baked ziti, you will love this glorified version. You don't have to buy a premade tomatoe sauce. Since you cook the sauce with all of the vegetable/meat additions for an hour, you are basically "making" your own sauce, so why add more jarred sauce. Just throw in a 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes and 2 (yes 2) cans of paste and one paste can full of water and some seasonings of your choice and you will be very satisfied with the outcome. Makes a delicious tomato/vegetable sauce. I loved using the 3 different types of macaroni. You just have to add them to the boiling water at different times because some take longer to cook. Thanks for a nice take on baked ziti!
This recipe is perfect except for one thing: I added 1 pound of Italian sausage, cooked, to the tomato mixture! LOVE IT!!!
This is my new favorite recipe. The only thing I changed was to add 1 lb of italian sausage. I also added more sauce. I chopped the veggies really large and then followed the recipe. My boyfriend always talks about the way his mom makes rigatoni and sauce. It is his all time favorite. I can never make it right so I tryed this. Big success. I was told better than his mom's!!!!! Thanks Janice.
Perhaps my expectations were too high. I was hoping for that delicious dish I remember Pizza Hut serving when I was a kid. Unfortunately, this didn't come close. I ended up with an expensive flop because there was no where near enough sauce and I didn't trust my instincts, but followed the recipe instead. I wound up with a pan full of very dry baked ziti-ish stuff. If I make this again, I will definitely double the non-meat part of the sauce. I will also leave out the ricotta because it was terrible in this. Perhaps, instead, I'll add cream cheese.
I made a lower fat version using Turkey pepperoni (yes there is such a thing--who knew!) lite ricotta and part skim mozzerella--and it was a very good, and very easy to prepare.
Mmmm, really good. Surprising for a jarred sauce. I used a store brand sauce black olive and caper flavor. It was only 26 oz. I used canned sliced button mushrooms about half a can, a handful of frozen diced green pepper and onion, and 10-12 oz of sour cream instead of ricotta. I only had a sauce layer, all the pasta in 1 layer, another sauce layer, and topped with a package of Italian blend cheese. Very good dish and it made a large pan full. We both commented on how good this was and we really don't care much for Italian dishes. Thanks for a sharing this.
Excellent dish with only a few tweaks! We used low fat and low sodium ingredients and it still turned out wonderful!
I made this for the family when our daughter and her husband brought baby Ruby home. It was delicious. I mixed the sauce in with the pasta, and layered that with the cheese mixture. I also added italian sausage as other reviewers suggested. Perfect.
This was really good! I was looking to use up the half empty boxes of different pasta that I had, and this was the perfect recipe. Some of my pasta was different than what was called for, but I don't think it mattered. I had about 1/2 c. of pepperoni and used a pound of italian sausage. Other than that, stuck to the recipe and got lots of yummmmm's from the family. :-)
I really didn't think this was as great as the reviews I read. It's like a simpler way of preparing lasagne without the lasagne noodles. I will make next time with some changes copying some steps from my lasagne recipe that my family loves (including picky teenager). I will use cream cheese instead of ricotta. Mix 2 tsp chicken bouillion powder with the cream cheese and add 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (boiled chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs...depending on what you like best, white or dark meat). Double the sauce and boil with chopped jalapeno peppers instead of pepperoni. Bake COVERED in foil for 30 minutes, then remove the foil add the mozzarella cheese, and bake another 15 minutes. By baking uncovered for 30 minutes it dries up the sauce and cheese. It's best to add the cheese in the last 10-15 minutes. I would not typically use store bought spaguetti sauce....but if I had to choose one that tastes great, I'd recommend Barilla or another high end sauce. A good sauce makes a big difference on the final result. Enjoy!
I really like the idea of this recipe. It's really a kind of... simplified Lasagna. The same basic ingredients with a different presentation to it. I'll definitely be giving this one a try.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I did make some changes due to what I had on hand, but the bulk of the recipe was the same. I used a red pepper instead of green, and only used a cup of pepperoni and 8 ounces of mushrooms. I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta and I cut down the mozzarella. I used just penne rather than the pasta mix. The flavor was really spectacular and was quite different than anything i've ever had in a restaurant (due to the pepperoni). I would really recommend it! Also - by using lowfat cottage cheese & less mozzarella, it really cut back and on the calories, but the flavor was still awesome!
Excellent, definitely going in the monthly rotation. The only things I did a little differently is in the sauce I used a 26-oz jar of marinara sauce with 1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead of a 32 oz jar of spagetti sauce. I also used 1-1/2 cups of rigatoni, and 1-1/2 cups of tri colored rotini, and left out the elbow macaroni. I also threw in a splash of milk in the pasta and cheese to make it a little creamier and a little less sticky. Very very good. Thanks for the recipe.
Very hearty baked pasta dish. Love that fact that it is very easy to customize to your tastes. Easy to add any additional items your family loves!
OMG.. My husband LOVED this dish and my neighbors popped by and each ate 3 servings. I added mild italian sausage ONLY and it was perfect. The fresh mushrooms were delightful. I can already hear my hubby begging for this again (and again)
can't say enough about this. my parents were raving about how good this was, myself included. i followed everything exactly, following the advice of Janice to add 2 more cups of pasta. Upped the garlic, had to :) Used a mixture of rigatoni, torchiette, conchiglie from Montebello artisan organic pasta (highly recommended, their process of pasta-making is really incredible from the bronze dies they use for extruding pasta thru to the drying rooms). Added a cup of home-made pork stock (pork from West Wind Farms) which really brought everything together. I threw this stock in with everything in the beginning and let it cook for the hour. Used certified humane prosciutto, soppressata, and salami from Applegate farms instead of the pepperoni. Instead of mozzarella used Muenster cheese from Applegate and I found I needed alot more to sprinkle on at the end, I'd say I threw on an extra 1/2 to 1 cup. Really made a nice difference for the topping :) All ingredients were organic and all animal products were certified humane :) I had my oven on at 345 to prevent burning since all ovens are different, left it in probably about 20 minutes longer. Came out beautifully perfect. This pasta was incredible, this will be a new staple in my family, especially for myself. Many different layers/levels of flavors and textures, all melded together into one delicious pasta mess, a good mess that is. Leftovers will be even better I can't wait to pull it out tonight :) Thank you for an awesome recipe
This was so good! My boyfriend and I loved it! The leftovers were even better the next day.
This was VERY good, added 1 lb of Owen's Italian sausage fried with the bell peppers/onions.
GREAT and FUN way to use up the various last bits of pastas in the pantry only thing is i make my own gravy (sauce) i can't deal with the jarred. i give it 4.5 stars it would get 5 if it not for the jarred stuff
Very tasty. It took quite awhile, and I'm not sure I would make it very often because of that, but it was good. It tasted like something you would get as a side dish at a pizza place, but it was definately filling enough to eat as the main dish.
I omitted the mushrooms as my DH isnt too fond of mushrooms..They were not missed..Excellent recipe..The BEST Cavatini ever. Thank U for this wonderful recipe. I will be making it often....
Great to put together ahead of time and fire up during the NFL playoffs! We substituted Italian sausage (sliced) for the pepperoni and it was oh-so-good. Our guests copied the recipe on the way out the door.
DELISH! I used a spicy Arabiatta sauce for the spagetti sauce. I did not use pepperoni, but spicy ground sausage instead- it had a kick! Everyone loved it- I will definitely make it again!
I am giving this 5 stars even tho the family gave it 3 1/2-4 stars. I loved it! I used 1 pkg of turkey Italian sausage and got carried away with the garlic, ended up using 3 or 4 cloves. I was running out of time so I popped it in the nuker to get all bubbly. Delish! Next time I will use less expensive cottage cheese. Nice work Rumour
The Italian family loved it!. I was unable to use meat due to vegetarians in the group so I added 1T. fennel seed to the sauce.
Very nice - so much easier than layering lasagne noodles, but you get the same effect. Very filling, looks good. We used vegetarian pepperoni and it worked out really well. I increased the recipe by 2.5x and it made a TON.
One of the best tomato "gravies" I've had in a long time. It was very close to my mother's, which I had been trying to duplicate. Following suggestions of others, however, I added Italian sausage (1/2 plain and 1/2 hot) and reduced the pepperoni. The pepperoni didn't add much and I will omit it next time. I also will increase the pasta, but won't bother with the macaroni. I cooked the sausage first, removed it, then added the vegetables, then the tomatoes, and returned the sausage. I didn't find it difficult. While the sauce was cooking, I did other things, and while the "cavatini" was baking, I set the table and prepared the rest of the meal. The sauce can easily be prepared ahead of time, and would also be delicious on other cooked pastas.
Great flavor!! I didn't assemble in layers, rather, I mixed everything together and it turned out wonderfully!
The boys absolutely love this recipe, and it's so easy to prepare. A definite keeper!
really good recipe. I made too much for dinner and ate it cold in work the next day for my lunch!
Great.....I did not use the bell pepper, used half of the pepperoni, added one pound of hamburger, traded the ricotta cheese for cottage cheese. Everyone had seconds and warmed up good for lunch the next day. Will do again!
My entire family loved this! I added some ground beef and cheddar cheese, and used cottage cheese in place of the ricotta.
I've made this several times. I thought the pepperoni would be too salty but it's not the case. It adds a great taste and is a nice alternative to ground beef. I took a double-batch to a potluck and came home with an empty dish. I'm lactose intolerant and used lactose free cheese and it tasted great. My lactose free friends were delighted to have a pasta casserole that they could eat.
Nice lasagna substitute. I used my own sauce, but liked the different pastas and the pepperoni. My kids gobbled it up so I'll definitely be making it again.
Num! Num! Num! Very delicious!
Made this for my family, including 4 teenagers. They all loved it. I doubled it and we ate most of it. I asked on a scale of 1-5 how it should be rated and my husband answered quickly, "7".
One word...awesome! I did add 1lb of sweet Ilt sausage with the pepperoni . I also used sharp white cheese in place of half of the mozzarella . My husband gave me 5 stars for such a great meal. Thanks so much.
I left out the peppers and onions because I don't like them. Wow, this was awesome!!! I've been getting sick of the weekly spaghetti, and this really made me love pasta all over again! thanks for sharing this recipe!!! Definately will make again!
I made this as given only added some lean ground beef and sliced Italian sausages. It was great! My husband and I both loved it. I will be making this again and again.
My husband and I both liked this recipe. I used half pepperoni and half sausauge. Thank you for a good recipe.
I loved this! I added sausage per some of the other reviewers' suggestions and only used the rotini pasta. (I didn't see the point of using 3 different types of pasta.) But I thought this recipe was pretty much perfect!
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! This was sooooo good. It is great as leftovers too! I will be making this again and again! What a great way to get the kids to eat more veggies!
It reminded me of pasta I would get as kid. Easy and I was able to adapt the recipe with ingredients that me and my husband like!
This recipe is a great base that can be modified to your liking. I changed out some of the veggies and cheeses, and it was delicious. My husband also loved it.
I halved the pepperoni as I served this as a side dish and wanted to reduce the fat a bit. It was so yummy! My husband who is rarely enthusiastic about my execution of new recipes even complimented it. This is a keeper!
We all loved this one. The only downfall is that it takes so long to make. I will make this again on a night where I have more time.
This recipe is perfect! The first time I made it, I left out the mushrooms and peppers as I'm not a big fan of them, but the second time I made this to a "T" and it was wonderful. My picky husband actually danced around the kitchen when I made this last night. I would recommend simmering the sauce lonnger if you have time.
My son was returning from a trip with Gramma thru the Mediterranean, so I made this for his "welcome home" lunch. He does not eat onion, peppers, or mushrooms, so I pureed them in a little of the spaghetti sauce and he never knew they were there! Score one for Mom!!! Plus, he's a pepperoni fanatic so he was happy when he saw that- nevermind it was turkey pepperoni- nobody could tell! Used part skim ricotta and part skim cheeses. Got rave reviews from both son and husband. Leftovers for dinner tonight- YAY!!! WELL worth a little more effort than regulat spaghetti! Thanks Rumour!
This recipe is a keeper !! I will add a little more sauce to it next time though. Great recipe,
The only thing I did different was to add some sugar.which made it sooo much better. Just to taste. Learned this from an employee at Pizza Hut resturant who made this and it was so good. Try it.
This is so good! I also add a lb of ground beef browned. I like to use rotini and shells for the pasta. Everyone loves it and so easy!
I made this recipie for supper it was a big hit!! We all loved it, I chopped the onion and pepper very small because of kids, I decreased the pepperoni a little, used a combination cheese mix of, parmasean, asiago, romano, and provalone, all fresh grated and already mixed from Sams, yummy, I also used part skim ricotta, I also doubled the recipe. I will make this again and for company.
Although this was very good, I also thought it was a little bland. Next time I will take other readers advice and add some italian sausage to kick it up a bit! Very good though, definitely a keeper.
Wow! Where do I start....this was absolutely fabulous. The flavors were outstanding...didn't change a thing and cooked it as written. I think that this time I will add some sweet italian sausage like some other reviewers did...along with the pepperoni of course. Shared this recipe with co-workers and as one co-worker said..."it was to die for fabulous!" Keeping it in the regular rotation!
OMG, this is fantastic! The only thing I did differently was that I sauteed the onions, mushrooms and green peppers in butter and then added the rest. My mom called me the next day and asked what I fed my dad..he couldn't stop raving about it! I, personally, only had about a cup of this (and it was so good), because I had to work, but my fiance and the kids kept talking about it for days.
I had a dinner party last night. I was running a bit late, so I just did Directions #1 and #2, as I didn't have time to put the cheese and bake it. The sauce was delicious!!! To the sauce, I added broccoli, mild Italian sausage (would've preferred "hot"), another 32 oz of pre-made sauce (so 64 total...just 32 was too thick), 2 more cloves of garlic, a lot of Italian seasoning, tablespoon of cumin, a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne. Also added salt and sugar. It was really great, my guests had seconds, and one of my friends told me that if I made it for her, she would pay me. haha This morning I was able to finish the recipe so I could have it for lunch. I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta ($1 versus $8...its ridic). It was delicious! I would advise is to cover the pan with aluminum foil before putting it in the oven so the cheese on top doesn't get burnt. I'm going to make this over and over again.
Great! Followed the recipe exactly. A great alternative to lasagna and spaghetti.
I assume when you say "spaghetti sauce" you meant the premade jar type, which I never buy... so my sauce was a bit different, I used fresh parsley, basil, and oregano, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and a lot more garlic, but other than that, I followed the recipe, and it was lovely. My husband complimented it twice and got seconds; that's the best I can hope for from any meal ;) Thanks!
I tweaked this recipe only a tiny bit...we ADORE garlic, so a couple of extra cloves found their way in! Next time, however, I will probably cut the tomato paste in half...even after adding a touch of baking soda, we still felt the need to pop a couple of TUMS after dinner. Great base recipe, delicious on its own...while still leaving room for custom touches of your own (extra veggies, different cheeses). Next time, I might add some fresh basil, YUM!
Awesome! I had been looking for this recipe for years. Reminds me of what I used to get from Pizza Hut but they no longer sell it. Thanks for sharing ! No changes left as is. Awesome dish!
This was my second time making this, and like I said before this recipe definitely needs an extra cup of pasta. It was fantasic, and company loves it. Enough for 4 people, with 1 serving left over.
Delicious! Even though it takes a little while to finish, it's still very easy to put together. I left out the mushrooms though and had to sub garlic powder for the fresh. My rotini pasta was wheat and I used half turkey pepperoni and half regular. I don't like ricotta cheese, so instead I did 16 oz. of fat free sour cream and it turned out perfectly. I will definitely make this again. Smells great too!
This was okay, but we prefer the dish with italian sausage that has been browned and drained. It is a an easy week night dinner and very child friendly.
The only thing I would change is that I would cook the rigatoni pasta separately. It doesn't cook well with the other pasta. All n all, it's a great recipe. Also added some ground beef.
This recipe was great. I added some extra pasta and a can of tomato sauce. Also some extra seasoning and cheese. It turned out great and we had plenty of left overs. I will definantly make this again. Thanks
This was absolutly awsome !!! I will make this again. It was easy to make and the whole family loved it!!!!! Thanks Janice for a great recipe.
I loved this and so did my husband. It was great!! I did not change anything the first time but I will add hamburger next time. Thanks for this great recipe!!!
This recipe is a result of half a tub of ricotta cheese, a package of pepperonis, and three different types of 1/4 full boxes of pasta that needed to be used up. I didn't use the green bell pepper, yellow onion, mushrooms, tomato paste, or parm. cheese only because I didn't have some of them and forgot to use the rest of them, but it still turned out great. I really liked this and will make it again!!
I made this to bring to my sister-n-laws, yesterday. Everyone LOVED it!!! Even the little kids! Thanks!!
Finally, something my husband and one-year-old will both eat! I used whole wheat pasta for a bit of a nutrition boost, and we all loved this well-rounded dish.
My family gobbles this up every time I make it. The only thing I change is the mushrooms. No one in my family will eat them so I omit them from the recipe.
