Cheesy Baked Cavatappi with Onions and Peppers |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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Determining an accurate cup measure of a wavy pasta, such as cavatappi, can be tricky; weighing the pasta is simpler. And it's much easier to weigh the amount of cheese you need and shred it all at once. Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil |
1 1/2 cups chopped onion |
2 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (about 2 large peppers) |
12 ounces uncooked cavatappi (about 4 cups) |
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk |
1 ounce all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup) |
1 1/2 teaspoons butter |
4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup) |
4 ounces gruyère cheese, shredded (1 cup) |
3/4 teaspoon salt |
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
dash of ground nutmeg |
dash of ground red pepper |
cooking spray |
2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs |
chopped fresh parsley (optional) |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add bell pepper; sauté 3 minutes. Remove mixture from pan; set aside.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
4. Combine milk and flour in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Melt butter in saucepan over medium-high heat; add milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; gradually add cheeses, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Stir in salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and ground red pepper. Add onion mixture and pasta, stirring well to combine. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over pasta mixture. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
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