The first time I tasted Pizza Hut’s Cavatini as a kid, I was fascinated by the variety of pasta shapes all in one dish. The hearty combination of spiral pasta, shells, and wheels covered in rich meat sauce and topped with melted cheese created the ultimate comfort food experience. When I discovered that Pizza Hut no longer offers this beloved dish on their menu, I was determined to recreate it at home. After several attempts to capture that nostalgic flavor, I’m excited to share this spot-on copycat recipe that brings back all those delicious memories in one satisfying pasta bake.
Table of Contents
What Makes Pizza Hut Cavatini Special?
Baked cavatini is a hearty Italian-American dish filled with three different types of pasta, spaghetti sauce, pepperoni, and Italian sausage, all topped off with generous layers of cheese. It’s the perfect combination of a pasta bake and pizza flavors in one delicious casserole.
This dish was once a staple at Pizza Hut restaurants across the country, creating nostalgic memories for many who enjoyed dining at the red-roofed restaurants during the 1980s and 1990s. While Pizza Hut no longer serves this classic dish, you can easily recreate it at home with this simple recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This Copycat Pizza Hut Cavatini recipe is:
- Ready in just over an hour with minimal prep work
- Perfect for family dinners or potlucks
- Easily customizable with your favorite pizza toppings
- Great for meal prep and freezes beautifully
- Packed with hearty flavors that appeal to kids and adults alike
Plus, it’s a complete meal on its own – add a simple green salad for a dinner that satisfies everyone at the table!
Ingredients & Their Roles
- Cavatini pasta – Provides texture and holds sauce in its ridges
- Shell pasta – Captures small pockets of sauce and cheese inside each piece
- Wheel pasta – Adds visual interest and a different texture
- Spaghetti sauce – Forms the base flavor and binds the ingredients together
- Ground beef – Provides hearty protein and savory depth
- Italian sausage – Adds rich flavor with Italian herbs and spices
- Pepperoni – Contributes classic pizza flavor and a hint of spice
- Green bell pepper – Brings fresh crunch and subtle sweetness
- Onion – Provides aromatic foundation and savory notes
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – Creates the perfect melty, stretchy topping
- Shredded parmesan cheese – Adds nutty, salty dimension to complement the mozzarella
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Pasta and Meat:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Cook all three pasta varieties according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage until fully cooked.
- Drain excess fat from the meat.
Create the Sauce:
- In a large pot, heat the spaghetti sauce.
- Add the cooked ground beef and Italian sausage to the sauce.
- Stir to combine thoroughly.
Assemble the Cavatini:
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish or a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Create three layers using the following pattern:
- Layer 1: â…“ of the pasta mixture, followed by â…“ of the meat sauce
- Layer 2: Another â…“ of the pasta, followed by â…“ of the meat sauce
- Layer 3: Final â…“ of the pasta, followed by remaining meat sauce
- Top the final layer with pepperoni slices, diced onions, and chopped green bell peppers.
- Sprinkle generously with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
Bake to Perfection:
Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
You can make some Pizza Hut Cheese Bread to serve with your homemade cavatini.
Homemade Pizza Hut Cavatini
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pepperoni sliced thin
- 1/4 pound pasta spiral noodles
- 1 green bell pepper sliced thin
- 1/4 pound shell noodles
- 1 onion sliced thin
- 1/4 pound wheel noodles
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 pound hamburger browned
- 8 ounces Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage browned
- 32 ounces spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to box directions.
- Heat sauce and combine with cooked hamburger and cooked sausage. In a 11 X 13 pan, sprayed with Pam cooking spray, layer noodles and sauce.
- Top layer with pepperoni, onions and green peppers, and cheeses. Make about 3 layers and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Refrigerator: Store leftover Cavatini in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: This dish freezes beautifully! Portion into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, then reheat covered in a 350°F oven until hot throughout (about 20-30 minutes) or microwave individual portions.
- Make-Ahead: Assemble the entire dish up to 24 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Popular Pasta Dishes
- Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Recipe
- Pasta con Broccoli
- Mizithra Pasta
- Instant Pot Risotto
- Capellini Primavera
Great Main Dish Casserole Recipes
- Cheese Manicotti with Meat Sauce
- Leftover Chicken Casserole Recipes
- Chile Relleno Casserole
- Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Ground Beef Casserole
- King Ranch Casserole
- Taco Spaghetti Casserole
- Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole
We love easy dinner ideas so be sure to check out more of my easy pasta recipes and the best main dish casserole recipes.
The Cavatini I remember had only the wheel pasta and I always got the supreme. I’ve made another copycat recipe and it was so like I remembered, but only had the wheel pasta. However I lost that recipe, so will be trying this one. Will be scaling back as I’m only one who loves it!
This is my go-to recipe when I need to take a meal to a family. It makes a lot, and I get rave reviews from everyone I make it for.
I am 49 years old & when I was a little girl during the 70’s, very early 80s, this was my favorite meal & it’s what I ate every time we went to Pizza Hut. We moved to Germany in ‘81 & when we came back in late ‘84 they had taken it off the menu! I can’t wait to make this. I will make it in two pans & give one to my neighbor! Thank you so much for this recipe! 🙂
it’s what I ate back in the 70’s every time too as a kid! (I’m 58)
I have actually seen them at Pizza Hut spray the outer edges of crust with buttery spray as soon as the pizza comes out of the oven.
Worked at Pizza G
Hut in the mid 70s for about 2 years. My favs were the subs and glorious Cavatini. Been many a year, but for some reason only remember the wheels pasta, but from reading comments, guess my memory is flawed. Will say have tried this recipe and somehow seems different. It is a great recipe and everyone loved it.
I worked at a Pizza Hut for years- does anyone have the recipe for the butter garlic sauce that was also available on the spaghetti or cavatini? I remember it came in a packet and we made it every morning- not quite like an alfredo sauce but so yummy
The Pizza Hut i worked at had two Cavatini dishes. You could order Cavatini which had the noodles and cheese or you could order Cavatini Supreme which had the noodles cheese hamburger sausage green onion and both were covered with pasta sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Iam so disappointed that they took both off the menu. Glad i found this recipe.
I loved this when it was at Pizza Hut and it makes me sad that they don’t offer it anymore.
I have made this recipe before. It was tricky to try to get it in layers so I just put it together in one layer and it turned out fine. I am remembering 4 different pastas: wheels, spirals, ziti, and shells. I would suggest using a large aluminum pasta pan to bake this because it makes a very large pan! You may want to freeze the extras so you can enjoy them later.
can you copy the boiled shrimp in Captain Anderson registrant in panama city fla. ???? Bet you can’t ! but I hope so
How much onion is in the recipe? It does not show up on the list of ingredients.
Says one onion sliced thin
My Mom makes this with and without meat, and also sometimes layers with ricotta cheese. It’s my favorite meal that she makes.
that’s what I did! layered the bottom in ricotta!!!
Sorry, I meant Pizza Hut! I was getting in to big of a hurry to leave a comment.Lol
I use to work Pizza Hi back in the 80’s and we had both kinds of cavatini , with or without meat.
I loved the cavitina and their Italian supreme sandwich. Pizza Hut really screwed up, because these 2 dishes I ate one daily, I retired from the military in 99, got back to the states, no more cavitina or sandwiches. I went on there website, told them about there error, they tried to tell me they moved to snack meals. So I ask about chicken wings. They just failed to realize they had good menus, but denied to ask customers what they thought. Never went back to pizza hut
Same here, the cavatini was all I ate, and haven’t been back since they stopped it.
That is NOTHING, I repeat, nothing like the Pizza Hut Cavatini that I remember! There was NO meat and NO peppers! If there were peppers I would not have eaten it since I was a picky eater back then. It was basically pasta, sauce and cheese. It wasn’t layered or thick like this one. It was served in an individual dish and was pasta, sauce and cheesy goodness. I guess I’ll keep looking.
Different restaurants can make this differently. It sounds like you have a good grip on how it was made where you ate it. Why not give it a try, it sounds like you have it down. Pasta, a jar of sauce, and some cheese.
I worked for the Pizza hut chain stores and Pizza hut franchise stores ,for years as a manager and the original Cavatini or Cavatini supreme never had hamburger or parmesan cheese in it .they had a recipe book you had to follow .Today they might have it in it ,if you find a store that carry’s it.Today’s PizzaHut Stores have went down hill since they decided to have their pizza dough shipped in frozen ,instead of making their own everyday right in the store.They had the best food when they were doing that way.
Thank you Stephanie!
My husband really likes this dish and was thrilled to find this recipe
Ours is bubbling in the oven, we can’t wait to try it!!!
Cavatini Supreme most definitely had meat………Lots of it.
If it didn’t, I would not have ordered it the first hundred times I ordered it.
When Pizza Hut goes vegie…………I will go to FROZEN ENTRES!
It most definitely had meat in it and yummy onions and green peppers! I’m gonna have to try this recipe! I miss Cavatini! Noodles, sauce and cheese only doesn’t even sound good!
I remember it was like 3 different pasta not layed..supreme was onion mushroom peppers and meatballs ..I make often and surprised how many never ate or heard of it
Uumm, yes it did. When my family went to Pizza Hut that’s what my mother and I would order every time until they quit serving it. They had a couple different versions. Regardless, unless you’re completely and utterly ignorant, a person’s recipe is just a base for your own. You add or omit to your preference. If you’re gonna keep searching till you find the perfect written recipe you’re… well I won’t finish this sentence.
what state? The Pizza Hut I always ate at was in Vineland NJ and always had pepperoni in it and peppers! this was 1970s
The sauce you choose will not be sweet enough. Not quite the same as the chain store’s recipe. Good Luck……
try adding a large spoonful of grape jelly….it works
I believe that is what Gloria Pitzer had folks doing to make the sauce sweet.
Maybe a little brown sugar?
does anyone know how many this serves?
a HEAP! Atleast 6 people !
does anyone know how many this serves?
I can’t believe that you have this recipe! I have been looking for it for years. I always ate this when I was pregnant with my first child 31 years ago. I can not wait till I can make it! Thank you!
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
i agree with you. i use to make in 31 years ago when i worked at pizza hut but couldn’t remember the recipe. tell me what brand of sauce you used and how did it turn out.?
Hi Patricia. I made mine with 1 can of roasted garlic & onion sauce and 1 can of garden vegetables; both by Hunts. My family absolutely loved the meal. It’ll be a winter Sunday staple in our family. To me it brought back those wonderful Pizza Hut days.
Okay this is going on my menu for dinner next week! Its easy and not really all that expensive to make!