This easy Homemade Cavatini Supreme is a copycat recipe of the Pizza Hut classic that's filled with a pasta trio, marinara sauce, Italian sausage, pepperoni, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese. It's a hearty pizza-pasta bake dinner that the whole family will love!
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Do you remember Pizza Hut's Cavatini Supreme? I sure do. It was available back in the '70s and '80s (and maybe part of the '90s too) and was a deep-dish pasta packed with pizza toppings. Yum!
There were actually two versions of cavatini. The original was pasta, parmesan and meat with tomato sauce and mozzarella. And then there was the "supreme" version, which had everything in the original plus pepperoni, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms.
The supreme was my favorite, and I ordered it all the time...way more often than the pizza. You could imagine my disappointment, then, when they decided to take it off the menu.
Well, I thought about that dish a lot over the years and really missed it. Eventually, I decided to make my own homemade version so I could enjoy it once again. And it's every bit as good as I remember.
So, if you loved cavatini and have been missing it too, or if you've never had it and just want a delicious pasta dinner to put on the table, be sure to give this one a try!
Ingredients You Need
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Marinara sauce (or spaghetti sauce) - homemade or jarred; I most often use either my 15-Minute Homemade Marinara Sauce or my Quick and Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce; but when I'm in a hurry, I just grab my favorite jarred sauce
- Trio Italiano pasta - this is a combination of penne, medium shells, and rotini (the brand I use is San Giorgio, which seems to be widely available)
- Sweet/mild Italian sausage - bulk; if you can't get bulk, just get links and remove the sausage from the casings before cooking
- Pepperoni - sliced and halved
- Onion - diced
- Green bell pepper - diced
- Fresh mushrooms - diced
- Cooking spray - for greasing the baking dish (not pictured)
- Salt and pepper (not pictured)
- Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
- Mozzarella cheese - freshly grated
- Chopped fresh parsley - optional (for garnish)
How to Make Cavatini Supreme
Note: This is just a brief overview of the steps. For the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente per the package instructions; drain.
Meanwhile, cook and crumble the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through and lightly browned.
Add the marinara sauce; stir until combined. Cook for a minute or two to heat the sauce through.
Add the cooked pasta, pepperoni, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms; stir until well combined.
Place half of the pasta mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish; top with half of the cheeses. Add the remaining pasta mixture; top with the remaining cheeses.
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly, hot throughout and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- To use your time most efficiently, prep the veggies, pepperoni and cheeses and cook the sausage while waiting for the pasta water to boil and for the pasta to cook.
- Be sure to use a large, deep skillet that will fit all of the sauce, meats, pasta and veggies so you will can mix everything together right in the skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet that has 2-inch sides. Otherwise, you will need to mix everything together in a large bowl after you cook the sausage and sauce.
- Need more than 4 servings? Double the recipe and use a 9x13x2-inch baking dish; adjust the baking time as needed (it will probably take a little longer).
Substitutions & Variations
- If you can't get the trio pasta, you can just make your own using equal amounts of each of the individual pasta shapes. Alternately, you can use just one or two of the shapes.
- You can use 3½ cups of your favorite pizza sauce, homemade or jarred, instead of the marinara or spaghetti sauce.
- If you like a little heat, use hot Italian sausage instead of mild or add some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Use ground beef instead of sausage (or do a combination of beef and sausage).
- For individual servings, divide the pasta mixture and cheeses between four 2-cup baking dishes. Adjust baking time accordingly (it will probably take less time).
Leftover Storage, Reheating & Freezing
Leftover Storage
This dish is best when served freshly-baked, but leftovers do reheat fairly well. Store any leftovers, covered or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheating
Place the desired amount of leftovers in a greased baking dish, add a tablespoon or two of water to the dish (this is optional, but it will help prevent the pasta from drying out), cover with foil, and bake in a preheated 325°F oven just until heated through.
Freezing
You can freeze leftovers, but be aware that the pasta can become a bit mushy after being frozen. Thaw completely in the refrigerator, then reheat as per the instructions above.
Serving Suggestions
As with most Italian-inspired dishes and pasta bakes, I like to serve this with a salad like my Italian Tossed Salad or Caesar Salad and/or garlic bread, breadsticks or sliced Italian bread.
I hope you try this Homemade Cavatini Supreme recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Pasta Bake Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Homemade Cavatini Supreme
Ingredients
- cooking spray, for greasing the baking dish
- 8 ounces Trio Italiano pasta, see Notes below
- ½ pound bulk mild Italian sausage, if you can only get links; remove the meat from the casings before using
- 3½ cups marinara sauce, or spaghetti sauce (use your favorite homemade or jarred sauce; a 32-ounce jar will be about 3½ cups)
- 2 ounces sliced pepperoni, halved
- 1 cup diced onions, about ¼-inch pieces
- 1 cup diced green bell peppers, about ¼-inch pieces
- 1 cup diced mushrooms, about ¼-inch pieces
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.I use an 8½ x 8½ x 2-inch dish.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente as per the package instructions; drain.
- Meanwhile, cook and crumble the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until it is cooked through and lightly browned in spots. Drain off any excess grease, if needed.Make sure you use a skillet that is large enough to mix the sauce, meats, veggies, and pasta together; otherwise, you will need to use a large bowl to mix everything together after you cook the sausage and sauce. I use a 12" skillet with 2-inch sides.
- Add the marinara/spaghetti sauce; stir to combine. Continue cooking for another minute or two, stirring occasionally, to heat the sauce through.
- Turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta, pepperoni, onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms; stir until well combined. Taste and add salt and/or pepper, if needed.
- Transfer half of the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Transfer the remaining pasta mixture to the baking dish and top with the remaining cheeses.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly, hot throughout and the cheese is melted.
- If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- To use your time most efficiently, prep the veggies, pepperoni and cheeses and cook the sausage while waiting for the pasta water to boil and for the pasta to cook.
- Trio Italiano pasta is a combination of penne, shells and rotini (the brand I use is San Giorgio). If you can't get it, you can make your own using equal amounts of each of the pasta shapes. Alternately, you can use just one or two of the shapes.
- Need more than 4 servings? Double the recipe and use a 9x13x2-inch baking dish; adjust the baking time as needed (it will probably take a little longer).
- Please refer to the post for additional information and tips, step-by-step photos, information of storing leftovers, reheating and freezing, and serving suggestions.
Linda Disbrowe says
This brought back memories of Pizza Hut, for certain! I did make a few changes to match our taste. I used hamburger instead of Italian sausage. (Personal preference)I didn't have the trio pasta, so just used penne. I did not use pepperoni only because I do not like it. I used a jar of Rao's marinara sauce. I also used pre-shredded cheeses, more of both. I think the secret to this is not precooking the
veges., brilliant! I will certainly be making this again.
Note: It might be even better with freshly grated cheeses, but I just used what I had on hand.
Michelle says
Thank you, Linda! So happy that you enjoyed it and that you were able to easily make those changes to suit your own preferences and to use what you had on hand. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!
Michelle says
If you were a fan of Pizza Hut's Cavatini Supreme and want to enjoy it again, you've got to give this recipe a try. It's easy and tastes just as good as you remember!
Dawn orear says
This recipe is very delicious I'm glad I found it thank you I think everybody should try it
Michelle says
Thank you, Dawn...so happy you enjoyed it!