3 Cheese Cavatappi

Creamy, dreamy, and delicious, cavatappi is baked in a velvety rich cheese sauce.

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

1. Cook Pasta – Cook pasta al dente (a little bit firm). Keep in mind it’ll cook a bit more in the oven.
2. Make Sauce – Meanwhile, saute onion in butter. Whisk in flour and cook. Stir in milk and cream until smooth.

3. Add Cheese – Add seasonings, remove saucepan from heat, and mix in cheese.
4. 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! 

5 from 23 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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3 Cheese Cavatappi

This 3 Cheese Cavatappi is creamy, cheesy, and perfect for a crowd!

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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 47 minutes minutes

Rest Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 12 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Holly Nilsson

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound cavatappi
• ▢ 1 small onion diced, about ⅔ cup
• ▢ ⅓ cup butter
• ▢ ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups milk
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup light cream about 10-12% MF
• ▢ ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese or swiss cheese
• ▢ ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Topping

• ▢ 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cook cavatappi al dente (firm) according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook onion in butter over medium heat until tender. Whisk in flour and let cook 2 minutes while stirring.
• Add in milk and cream a little bit at a time stirring until smooth after each addition.
• Stir in seasonings and bring to a boil over medium heat and let boil 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and whisk in shredded cheeses until smooth and creamy.
• Toss sauce with cooked cavatappi and spread into a greased 9x13 pan.
• Top with remaining cheese and bake 22-27 minutes or until bubbly. Do not over cook.
• Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

To reheat, simply put in the microwave on a plate until heated through. 

5 from 23 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 931 | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 1003mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1732IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 989mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine American

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