Just like the original that used to be a part of the buffet, this hearty copycat Pizza Hut Cavatini is loaded with pasta, meats, peppers, and melted cheese!A NOSTALGIC PASTA RECIPEIf you ever had the Pizza Hut Cavatini in the past (not the ones they have now those are different so its mostly us older folks that remember this one), you know how delicious it was! I used to enjoy it during my lunch break when they used to have the lunch buffet. Anyone else miss the buffet? Back then it was such a good deal and they had so many different kinds of pizzas out along with this pasta, a salad bar and dessert pizza too. This baked dish is loaded with tender pasta, seasoned meats, peppers, marinara, and a generous blanket of melted cheeses and captures everything we all loved about the original recipe. While I work out trying to figure out how to get them to bring back the buffet to every Pizza Hut location again, we can enjoy this recipe in the mean time ha!FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:What else can I add to this pasta dish? Sometimes our Pizza Hut switched up the veggies in the pasta and would include some mushrooms and sliced olives. This was back when they made more things in-house (they werent just delivered to the store frozen) so they would switch it up sometimes because they were making it themselves. So feel free to play with this recipe and add what you love. What to serve with this dish? Why not try serving it with some other Pizza Hut favorites like the old school Pizza Hut Garlic Cheese Bread or the Pizza Hut Breadsticks and finish it off with some Pizza Hut Cinnamon Sticks! You could also serve with a nice big salad or a side dish of steamed veggies. Can I cut this recipe in half? Certainly. If you dont need as many servings, you can cut the recipe in half. It may be easier to change the baking dish size if desired. Or you can make half now and freeze the other half for later its a great make ahead freezer meal like most all pasta dishes. How do I store leftovers? Keep leftovers covered and in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Can you freeze this? Yes, this can be frozen before or after cooking as long as it is properly covered to protect against freezer burn. When cooking from frozen, itll take longer to cook. Start with 5-10 minutes extra and continue to check until cooked through. INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)rotini pasta or cavatappi could also be used.green pepper dont like peppers? Leave it out. If I remember correctly, this recipe was made with peppers, onions and sometimes mushrooms and olives (this was back in the day when the pasta was made in house so sometimes they switched up the veggies that were in it so feel free to have fun with this recipe and change it up!)yellow onion If you dont like onions, omit it and add 1 Tablespoon of onion powder instead.Italian sausage If you want to keep the spice level down, you can use regular sausage instead of Italian.You can use sweet or spicy sausage.ground beef I used 85% lean. You can use all sausage for all ground beef if you dont want to do half and half. pepperoni slicesshredded parmesan cheeseshredded mozzarella cheesepasta sauce my favorite pasta sauce is usually Raos Roasted Garlic Sauce (not a paid link) or Aldis Specially Selected Premium Marinara Sauce (not a paid link) but I usually end up going with whatever I got on sale or had a coupon for as you see in the photo below. So use what you like, you dont need to go by the kind that I used. *only one jar of pasta sauce shown here.HOW TO MAKE PIZZA HUT CAVATINI:Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Prepare a 913-inch casserole dish by spraying it with non-stick spray. Set aside. Cook pasta to al dente according to box directions. Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to the stock pot. Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium/high heat.Once hot, add the diced peppers and onions to the pan and cook until softened. Approximately 3-5 minutes.Once the peppers and onions are softened, add the Italian sausage and ground beef and cook, while breaking apart into smaller pieces, cook and crumble until fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Add the peppers, onions and cooked meat to the stock pot with the noodles.Add the pepperoni, making sure to pull the individual slices apart or they will stick.In addition, add the parmesan cheese and cup of the mozzarella cheese along with both jars of spaghetti sauce. Use a sturdy spoon to stir everything together until well incorporated. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.Cover with nonstick aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.After 30 minutes remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until everything is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving.CRAVING MORE RECIPES?Pizza Hut BreadsticksPizza Hut Cinnamon SticksPizza Hut Garlic Cheese BreadBaked Pizza PastaPepperoni Pizza Pasta SaladPizza TortelliniMeatball Pizza PrintPizza Hut CavatiniCombine everything you love in a good Pizza Hut Pizza with a hearty and filling pasta dish- just like the restaurant used to make. Course Dinner, Main CourseCuisine AmericanPrep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 35 minutes minutesTotal Time 50 minutes minutesServings 12Calories 447kcalAuthor Brandie SkibinskiIngredients1 pound rotini pasta (or cavatappi)1 Tablespoon oil1 cup diced green pepper1 cup diced yellow onion pound Italian sausage (see notes below) pound ground beef a 6 ounce bag pepperoni slices6 ounce bag shredded parmesan cheese (1 cups)8 ounce bag shredded mozzarella cheese (2 cups, divided use)2 (24 ounce) jars pasta sauceInstructionsPreheat the oven to 350F degrees. Prepare a 913-inch casserole dish by spraying it with non-stick spray. Set aside.Cook pasta to al dente according to box directions. Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to the stock pot.Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium/high heat. Once hot, add the diced peppers and onions to the pan and cook until softened. Approximately 3-5 minutes. Once the peppers and onions are softened, add the Italian sausage and ground beef and cook, while breaking apart into smaller pieces, cook and crumble until fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Add the peppers, onions and cooked meat to the stock pot with the noodles. Add the pepperoni, making sure to pull the individual slices apart or they will stick.In addition, add the parmesan cheese and cup of the mozzarella cheese along with both jars of spaghetti sauce. Use a sturdy spoon to stir everything together until well incorporated. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Cover with nonstick aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until everything is melted and bubbly.Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving. NotesPlease refer to my FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.You can use all ground beef or all Italian sausage if you dont want to use half and half.NutritionCalories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Sodium: 1149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g