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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    August 4, 2021

    Cavatini

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    Cavatini is a saucy baked pasta full of Italian sausage, pepperoni, veggies and mozzarella cheese! Once a popular dish at Pizza Hut, Cavatini is a perfect meal for a hungry, pasta-loving family!

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    close up of a plate of cavatini

    When I was growing up, it became a tradition to eat at Pizza Hut for lunch on Sundays after church. But as much as I enjoyed their pizza, I was always disappointed they didn't have their buffet available on the weekend. Why, you might ask? Well, two reasons really.

    First off, the buffet always had some sort of fruity dessert pizza piping hot, ready to enjoy. And second, their Cavatini pasta was always on the buffet line and that was a quick go-to for me!! I loved it - so saucy and cheesy and went perfectly with their delicious breadsticks! 🙂

    Cavatini is no longer on the Pizza Hut menu, but I've recreated it so we can enjoy it whenever we'd like at home! Turns out my husband and girls are also a huge fan of this pasta...thank goodness, because it makes a large batch!!

    a gold colored plate full of cavatini with cheese on top

    Ingredients Needed

    • Pasta - I use rotini pasta, simply because that's what I remember Pizza Hut using! However, you could certainly use penne, ziti, bowties, or whatever other pasta you've got on hand
    • Vegetable Oil
    • Italian Sausage - I love the added flavor Italian sausage gives, however, feel free to use ground beef or ground pork instead
    • Green Bell Pepper - You could certainly sub yellow or red pepper instead OR skip the pepper altogether
    • Onion - Again, feel free to skip if you're not an onion-loving family!
    • Pasta Sauce - I used Prego brand, but use whatever you've got on hand
    • Garlic Powder
    • Sliced Mushrooms - We love mushrooms, but if you don't, you can certainly leave them out
    • Pepperoni Slices
    • Mozzarella Cheese
    A bite of cavatini being scooped up by a fork

    What to serve with Cavatini

    • Side salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
    • Soft homemade Butterhorn Rolls
    • A quick & easy dessert such as Wacky Cake, Scotcheroos or Creamy Lemon Pie

    Make it a Freezer Meal!

    This does make a very large batch. It would serve at least 8 hungry individuals, so if you don't need that much, you've got a couple options.

    Freeze it! You can simply place half of the mixture in a greased 8 or 9-inch square pan and put the rest in a square aluminum pan to freeze for later!

    Half it! Not interested in making it a freezer meal? No worries. Halving this recipe is pretty darned simple. Other halving all of the ingredients, you'll just bake it in a square dish for 20 minutes and an additional 5-10 minutes with the cheese on top.

    Baked Cavatini right out of the oven
    A close up of a casserole dish full of cavatini with a scoop out of it

    Other Recipes to Try

    Lasagna Casserole

    Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    Cheesy Tater Tot Pie

    Bruschetta Chicken Skewers

    Connect with Dance Around the Kitchen!

    Follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook so you never miss a recipe!! And as always, thank you for following along with my blog, making my recipes, liking and sharing on social media and any other way you support Dance Around the Kitchen!  -Kelsey

    Cavatini

    Cavatini

    kelsey
    Cavatini is a saucy baked pasta full of Italian sausage, pepperoni, veggies and mozzarella cheese!
    5 from 1 vote
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    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course
    Servings 8

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound rotini pasta
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
    • 1 green bell pepper diced
    • 1 onion diced
    • Two 24 ounce jars pasta sauce
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • One 8 ounce can sliced mushrooms drained
    • One 3 ounce pkg pepperoni slices
    • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
    • ½ cup grated parmesan

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13" casserole dish with cooking spray.
    • Cook rotini according to package instructions, to al dente, then drain.
    • While the rotini is cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
    • Saute the diced green peppers and onions for 3-5 minutes, or until softened.
    • Add the Italian sausage and cook thoroughly; remove from heat.
    • Add the cooked pasta, both jars of pasta sauce, garlic powder, mushrooms, pepperoni slices, half of the mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese.
    • Stir well, then pour into the prepared casserole dish.
    • Bake for 30 minutes.
    • Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top; bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
    • Enjoy warm.
    Tried this recipe?Follow me at @dancearoundthekitchen.kelsey and let me know how you liked it!

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    about kelsey

    About Kelsey

    Combining my love for food and family is a pretty easy calculation. Almost all family gatherings include food… After all, a party without cake is just a meeting right? Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Bill says

      September 18, 2022 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      I used rotini, cavatelli, mostaccioli, and wheels which is what the original recipe called for back in '73 when PH rolled this out. Your sauce was most like what I remembered the product tasting like. Thanks so much.

      Reply
      • kelsey says

        October 05, 2022 at 9:16 pm

        I've never thought to add the wheels! I haven't had the PH cavatini in SO many years but when I was testing this recipe was so excited with how familiar the sauce tasted! I knew it would be a hit! 🙂 Thank you for the fantastic review! -Kelsey

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kelsey! I am a wife, mother and BFFs with my KitchenAid mixer, happy to bring you easy meals and decadent desserts! Welcome to my blog!

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