Pizza Hut's Best Italian Recipes You Can Do At Home

And here are their most popular mouth-watering items - complete recipes so you can make them at home!

Pizza Hut Cavatini

1 large green pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 oz. (1/2 stick) margarine

1 teas. garlic powder

1 lb. assorted pasta (wheels, shells, spirals, ziti)

1/2 lb. pepperoni - sliced thin - then cut in half.

8 oz. mozarella cheese (shredded)

1/2 lb. hamburger (browned)

1/2 lb. italian sausage (browned)

1 - 16 oz. jar meat flavored Prego sauce

Melt margarine over medium high heat in a skillet. Add onions, peppers, and garlic powder. Saute for about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to box directions. Heat sauce and combine with cooked hamburger and cooked sausage. Use cooking spray to lightly grease an 11 X 13 casserole dish. Place 1/2 of the cooked pasta in the dish, followed by 1/2 the vegetables, 1/2 of the pepperoni, and 1/2 sauce. Repeat another layer. Spread mozzarella cheese over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until cheese is melted.


Pizza Hut Creamy Italian Dressing

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Crumble the oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary into a medium bowl. Stir in the salt, pepper, vinegar and lemon juice. Whisk in the mayonnaise and then the gradually whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator. Shake well before using.

You can use this excellent Italian Dressing on salads, all kinds of items. They'll love it!

And, of course, their famous...

 --Pizza Hut Dessert Pizza--

Pizza Crust:

1 cup warm (105F) water

2 cups flour

1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast



Fruit Filling:

1 - 21 oz. can pie filling (cherry, blueberry, or apple)



Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 cup firm butter or margarine

1 teaspoon cinnamon



Vanilla Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoon Milk

1 tablespoon Melted margarine or butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine yeast and warm water and let proof for 3 minutes. Add to other crust ingredients in a large bowl and knead for 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for about 12 hours. Preheat oven to 500F. Roll the dough on a floured surface until it is about the diameter for your 16 inch pizza pan. Place in pan and form the dough to the edge.

Brush with vegetable oil and prick with fork. Prebake for 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread with pie filling. Mix crumb topping ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Spoon over pie filling. Return pizza to the oven and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Remove and drizzle with vanilla glaze.

Bon Appetit!

A Graduate of the Holland College Culinary Course, Brian Alan Burhoe has cooked in Atlantic Coast restaurants for over 30 years. He is a member of the Canadian Culinary Federation. Brian's articles reflect his interests in food service, dreamstudy, imaginative literature and our best friends -- our dogs.

His Home Page is A CULINARY MYSTERY TOUR - A Literary Chef. His articles have been reprinted on numerous culinary websites and various Blogs, including the popular WUVING.com.

Pizza Hut Facts:

• Pizza Hut is the world's largest user of cheese. One of their secret recipes is the Insider pizza and that alone uses a pound of cheese on each pizza. Over the course of a summer it is estimated that Pizza hut uses a 100 million pounds of cheese. Pizza Hut uses more than 300 million pounds of cheese annually.

• Pizza Hut purchases more than 3 percent of all cheese production in the United States, which requires a herd of about 170,000 dairy cows to produce it.

• In 2008 Pizza Hut history was made when they were the first national pizza franchise to allow their customers to order online in Spanish.

• Ringo Starr (the drummer of the Beatles, for you young folks) played in a Pizza Hut commercial in 1995, together with The Monkees.

• Pizza Hut's menus and recipes are not the same everywhere. Different locations use different suppliers and different toppings, according to the demand of their clients.

• Pizza Hut can now be found in 88 different countries and all of the United States. The company has became a Worldwide recognized provider of great pizza.

• The oldest Pizza Hut that is still functional is in Wichita, Kansas.