Pizza Hut Cavatini was a favorite of mine growing up. I grew to like it more than the pizza! So I was amazed to discover that when I say ‘cavatini’ to the average person, the response I invariably get is ‘huh?’ I had NO IDEA that it was only a few Pizza Huts in the midwest that served this dish.
Pepperonis, Italian sausage, two types of cheese, sauce simmered with a blend of spices. Why wouldn’t this be a standard dish at every Pizza Hut?
I love making this dish for our household. Not only does it taste delicious, it makes a very large dish full. For a family of four, it’s two nights dinner. (and yes, it re-heats very well). And it’s easy. Very easy.
Side note: When my husband takes it into work for lunch, people call it “goulash”? What in the world is goulash? It sounds like a Russian prison camp. And why would you insult my beloved Pizza Hut cavatini recipe by calling it that?
Well, if you haven’t had cavatini before, you are in for a treat. If you have had Pizza Hut cavatini before, I actually think mine is a slight improvement on the original. But I’m probably biased.
One last note: buy extra pepperoni. Feel free to eat liberally while prepping the dish. It makes the entire experience better.
Pizza Hut Cavatini
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage, hot
- 1 cup green pepper thinly sliced, approximately 2" long
- 1 cup red pepper thinly sliced, approximately 2" long
- 3/4 cup onion chopped
- 6 oz. mushrooms chopped
- 4 oz spiral noodles
- 4 oz shell noodles
- 4 oz wheel noodles
- 1 & 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 48 oz. spaghetti sauce Prego is best
- 8 oz. pepperoni slices
- 5 oz. Parmesan cheese shredded
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Mise en place. Brown ground Italian sausage until 90% cooked. Drain. Press out excess grease with a paper towel if desired.
- Add peppers, onions, and mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring often. Add sauce and spices. Bring to a slight boil. Remove from heat. Set aside.
- Cook pastas according to package directions. Rinse in cool water. Drain. Set aside.
- Spray a 9” x 13” casserole dish (glass is best with this recipe) with non-stick spray. Layer 1/3 of the pasta, spoon on 1/3 of sauce. Top with 1/3 of the pepperoni and then 1/3 of the cheese.
- Repeat layers: pasta, sauce, pepperoni, cheese.
- Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and cheese is melted. Check after 30 minutes and cover if browning too quickly.
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