Easy Macaroni and Cheese with Cavatappi Pasta
This macaroni and cheese with cavatappi pasta makes a delicious comfort food side dish to enjoy any day of the week.
Macaroni and cheese is one of those side dishes that just looks so good that it’s impossible to pass up.
This simple macaroni and cheese recipe not only tastes heavenly served by itself, but it also makes a great base for a main dish.
Just add cooked ground meat and, or cooked vegetables to it for a quick and easy meal.
About this Recipe
This recipe is made with cavatappi pasta, two types of cheese, milk, butter and seasonings.
Cavatappi pasta is tubular and shaped like a corkscrew.
“Cavatappi” actually means corkscrew in Italian.
It’s one of my favorite pastas because it’s on the “hearty” side.
And when cooked al-denti (cooked to be firm to the bite), the cavatappi pasta adds great texture to macaroni and cheese.
Interestingly, cavatappi pasta is also known by other names such as cellentani, amori, spirali, or tortiglione.
Let’s check out the ingredients.
Macaroni and Cheese – Cavatappi pasta, butter, flour, sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, milk, granulated garlic, salt and ground black pepper
Baking Dish – A 1.4 quart-size rectangular baking dish (8-inches long, 6-inches wide and 2.5-inches deep)
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
A printable recipe with the measurements and instructions is located at the bottom of this post.
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
White Sauce
Butter and Flour – Heat a medium size pot on medium heat and add butter.
Stir the butter around the pot…
…until it’s melted.
Then,
…add…
…flour.
Next…
…stir continuously.
Milk – When the butter and flour start to thicken (about 2 minutes),
…add milk to the pot and…
…stir.
Seasonings
Stir in granulated garlic and salt.
Remove the pan of white sauce from the heat, and set aside for just a moment.
Add White Sauce to Cooked Pasta
In a small size casserole dish*, add the cooked pasta.
*Baking Dish – A 1.4 quart-size rectangular baking dish (8-inches long, 6-inches wide and 2.5-inches deep)
Pour white sauce over the pasta and…
…stir together to coat the pasta.
Add Cheese to Pasta
To the casserole dish with the pasta and white sauce…
…add half of the cheese.
Next…
…stir…
…so that the cheese is mixed in with the pasta and sauce.
Top with Cheese
Top the pasta mixture with the remaining cheese.
Bake and Serve
Bake in a preheated oven (at 425 degrees F.)…
…until…
…the cheese melts (about 15 minutes).
Serve right away while it’s warm.
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Easy Macaroni and Cheese with Cavatappi Pasta
Ingredients
White Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk set on the counter for 5 minutes before using so it's room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
Macaroni and Cheese:
- 4 cups cooked (al-dente) Cavatappi pasta cook al-dente according to package instructions
- White Sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Equipment
- Small baking dish – 1.4 quart-size rectangular baking dish (8-inches long, 6-inches wide and 2.5-inches deep)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
White Sauce:
- Heat a medium size pot on medium heat and add butter. Stir the butter around the pot until it's melted. Add flour and stir continuously.
- When the butter and flour start to thicken (about 2 minutes), add milk and stir. Stir in garlic powder and salt.
- Remove the white sauce from the heat and set aside for a moment.
Macaroni and Cheese:
- In a small casserole dish (1.4 quart-size), add the cooked pasta. Pour the white sauce over the pasta and stir together to coat the pasta.
- Add half of the cheese to the pasta and white sauce mixture. Stir so that the cheese is mixed in with the pasta and white sauce.
- Top the pasta mixture with the remaining cheese.
Bake and Serve:
- Bake in a preheated oven (at 425 degrees F.) until the cheese melts (about 15 minutes).
- Serve warm.
Video
Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese
Another dish made with cavatappi macaroni and cheese; “Sloppy Joe and Macaroni and Cheese“.
Comfort Food Recipes
Popular comfort food recipes you may like:
Candied Yams (Sweet Potatoes) with Pecans and Marshmallows
Candied Sweet Potatoes (Canned Yams), with Walnuts and Marshmallows
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Easy Skillet Smoked Sausage with Caramelized Barbecue Sauce
Biscoff Cookie Butter Blondie Brownies
Baked Herb and Parmesan Potato Slices
More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
“Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese with Goat Cheese” and “Macaroni and Cheese with Green Chilis”
Pasta Recipes
Easy pasta recipes; “Fideo Pasta and Chicken One-Skillet Meal“, “Italian Sausage with Radiatore Pasta and Marinara Sauce” and “Pork Meatballs and Spaghetti with Marinara Wine Sauce“.
How to Make Homestyle Elbow Macaroni Salad
Will this work with a 9×13 casserole dish or would I need to double the recipe ?
Yes, it would be best to double the recipe because the casserole dish used in this recipe was 1.4 qts (about 5.6 cups); and a standard size 9×13 casserole dish is about 3 qts (12 cups) (the capacity may be more depending on the depth of the casserole dish).
what size casserole are you using?
Hi Judy, I used a 1.4 quart-size rectangular baking dish (8-inches long, 6-inches wide and 2.5-inches deep). Thank you for asking this question…I also updated the recipe and post with the baking dish size.
What kind of milk? Vitamin D? I use 2% is that ok
Hi Karrie, yes 2% should be just fine.
Honestly the easiest and best mac and cheese. Super easy and there is never the dreaded separation that makes it grainy. Thank you
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you so much your great recipe rating!
Made this for my family tonight and we all loved it. My husband and 3 sons are tough to please, but they all had multiple helpings- there was nothing left! I don’t really like any of the boxed Mac and cheese, but those don’t even compare to this. I’ll be making this a lot!
Hi Laura, I’m so glad your family liked this! Multiple helpings is definitely a good sign that a recipe tastes good. Thank you so much for letting me know and for your 5-star rating on it!
Made this for my man and we’re hooked. Making it again for his family, I’m sure it’ll be a hit with them as well. I wonder, would I get the same results if I made it up in advance and then bake it in the oven.
Hi Dani, I’m so glad you liked it. I think making it in advance should be fine if all of the recipe steps were done ahead of time except topping it with the shredded cheese. Then just before baking it, the mixture could be stirred to “re-coat” the pasta with the other ingredients. It’s possible the cooked pasta may absorb some of the liquid so if it’s on the dry side, I would add a little more milk. Then just before putting it in the oven, the final layer of shredded cheese could be added. Also, if making it ahead of time the pasta would for sure need to be cooked al-dente (firm) or it may get too flimsy and soft while sitting in the fridge, then break apart when it’s stirred. Thank you for letting me know how it turned out!