This easy Cavatini recipe is a family favorite. It’s chock full of pasta, sauce, meat and veggies for a hearty, comforting meal.
I love old recipes. My favorites are the ones passed down in our families, but I have to admit that I’m also a hoarder of old church cookbooks. This particular recipe comes from one of my mother-in-law’s cookbooks. It’s a couple of decades old, but I’ve found that Ragu sauce was popular then, too!
As you can see in the picture above, it’s well-worn and well-loved. The cookbook is about 25 years old, and I know this particular recipe is one of my in-laws’ absolute favorites. The best part is that even the original recipe calls for Ragu sauce, so Ragu is definitely a tradition for my husband’s family.
And tradition is important to the Ragu brand. It started with Assunta Cantisano, a woman of proud Italian heritage who began cooking and selling the sauce right out of her kitchen. Don’t you just love that? We love how affordable Ragu sauces are (with no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup, by the way).
My personal favorite is the Ragu Chunky Tomato, Garlic & Onion. Their meat flavored sauce comes in a close second, though!
Ready to get cooking? Here’s the recipe!
Easy Cavatini
Ingredients
- 4 c. shell pasta cooked
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1.5 lbs. ground beef
- 1 7 oz. package pepperoni slices
- 1 14.5 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
- 1 pkg. shredded Mozzarella
- 1 pkg. shredded Italian cheese blend
- 32 oz. Ragu sauce of your choice
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, brown the ground beef along with onions, green peppers and mushrooms.
- Drain pasta and ground beef mixture. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Add 1/2 of the cheeses plus 32 oz. (4 cups) Ragu sauce. Mix well.
- Pour into a 13x9 baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 20 minutes or until cheeses are melted.
Easy Cavatini with Ragu sauce makes a wonderful dish for a potluck or a family dinner. There’s plenty to go around, and it’s one of those dishes where the leftovers taste even better!
What’s your favorite pasta dish… the one that reminds you of home or church potlucks or other favorite memories? Our Simple Goulash Recipe and Homemade Hamburger Helper are a couple more of our favorites.
48 Pasta Bake Recipes | BEST Baked Pasta Dishes
Wednesday 24th of August 2016
[…] Easy Cavatini with Ragu Pasta Sauce from Gluesticks & […]
Wendi
Friday 9th of October 2015
This looks absolutely delish. Thought o would visit and check out your links. ;) thanks for the recipe!