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Cavatini

I adapted this from a recipe out of one of my cookbooks. We love it.

List of Ingredients

4 cups dry pasta (I use trio-Italiano by
American Beauty)
1/2 pound ground beef or ground Italian sausage
1 medium onion -- chopped
1 medium green pepper -- chopped
3 ounces pepperoni -- sliced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
seasonings to taste (garlic powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, etc.) -- optional
1 to 1 1/2 cups cream-style or regular cottage cheese or ricotta
8 oz. shredded mozzarella, Italian blend cheese, or cheddar/mozzarella


Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well.

While pasta is cooking, brown ground beef with onion and green pepper until onion is transparent. Drain fat.

Stir in pepperoni and cook until just heated. Drain off any additional fat.

Add spaghetti sauce and any additional seasonings; simmer 5 minutes.

Arrange half the pasta in a lightly greased 3-quart baking dish.

Spoon on half the meat sauce.

Spread cottage cheese over the sauce.

Sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese.

Repeat layers, omitting cottage cheese.

Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes.

NOTES : I've never added mushrooms to this, but I bet it would be good.