Each mouthwatering bite of this Pizza Pasta Casserole is loaded with gooey cheese, hearty sauce, vibrant veggies, and savory meats—it’s comfort food taken up a notch!
Imagine combining two of the best comfort foods – pizza and pasta. Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong! Enter: easy cheesy Pizza Pasta Casserole – your family’s next favorite dish!
Why you’ll love this
- Flavorful Fusion. Get the best of both worlds with this scrumptious marriage of pizza and pasta!
- Easy to make. You don’t need to be a professional chef to whip this up.
- Comfort food. Just what you need after a long day.
- Crowd-pleaser. Great for potlucks, parties, or family dinners – kids and adults alike will love it!
Ingredients
- Italian Sausage – choose mild, medium, or hot according to your preference.
- Veggies: Green Bell Pepper, Yellow Onion, and Mushrooms – classic supreme pizza toppings! Feel free to experiment with different types of mushrooms and other toppings for varied flavors.
- Italian Seasoning – the secret to that authentic Italian touch. Feel free to make use own blend of dried basil and oregano!
- Pepperoni – try substituting with turkey pepperoni for a leaner option.
- Pizza Sauce – you’ll need 3 (14 oz) jars. Use a brand you trust or if you’re feeling ambitious, make your own!
- Pasta – you’ll need 1 (16 oz) box pasta of choice, cooked 2 minutes less than al denté. I used rotini, but feel free to use your favorite pasta!
- Mozzarella – you’ll need 1 (8 oz) block mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided. Freshly shredded cheese melts better than pre-shredded, but feel free to use pre-shredded if you’re in a pinch.
- Parmesan – the perfect, nutty finish!
How to make
- Preheat the oven and grease a baking dish.
- Sauté sausage, veggies, and seasonings in a pan until the sausage is cooked.
- Transfer the mix to a large bowl, add pepperoni, pizza sauce, cooked pasta, and half the mozzarella, then stir to combine.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, then bake, scoop, and enjoy!
Pro tip
Boiling the pasta 2 minutes less than al denté ensures it doesn’t become too soft in the oven.
Variations
- Make it meatless. Substitute the Italian sausage with a plant-based alternative and use vegetarian pepperoni.
- Play around with toppings! This is supreme pizza inspired pizza, but feel free to use YOUR favorite pizza toppings: pineapple and jalapeno? Meat lovers? BBQ chicken? The options are endless.
- Make it gluten-free. Use a gluten-free pasta of your choice and check all other ingredients to ensure they’re gluten-free.
What to serve with pizza pasta casserole
How to store
Leftovers will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To enjoy again, thaw overnight in the fridge, if frozen, then cover and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot. For smaller servings, feel free to microwave until warm.
– Jennifer
Pizza Pasta Casserole
Each mouthwatering bite of this Pizza Pasta Casserole is loaded with gooey cheese, hearty sauce, vibrant veggies, and savory meats—it's comfort food taken up a notch!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 8 people
Equipment for this recipe
(equipment shown are affiliate links)
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) package Italian sausage mild, medium, or hot
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- ½ large yellow onion diced
- 1 (8 oz) container mushrooms diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 (6 oz) package pepperoni quartered
- 3 (14 oz) jars pizza sauce
- 1 (16 oz) box pasta cooked 2 minutes less than al denté (pictured: rotini)
- 1 (8 oz) block mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Once hot, add in Italian sausage, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper.
- Cook, breaking up the meat as you go, until the sausage is no longer pink.
- Drain any grease, if necessary, then transfer to a very large mixing bowl.
- Add in pepperoni, pizza sauce, cooked pasta, and 1/2 the mozzarella cheese.
- Stir to combine, then taste and re-season, if necessary.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan.
- Cover the baking dish with tin foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray (this prevents the cheese from sticking) and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the center is hot.
- Remove from the oven, then serve and enjoy!
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STORING
Room Temp:N/A
Refrigerator:5 Days
Freezer:3 Months
Reheat:Thaw, if frozen, then bake or microwave to warm
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Pizza Pasta Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 scoop)
Calories 468 Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Trans Fat 0.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 15g
Cholesterol 89mg30%
Sodium 2105mg92%
Potassium 989mg28%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 1178IU24%
Vitamin C 29mg35%
Calcium 234mg23%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Keywords: comfort food, easy dinner ideas, family-friendly recipes, freezer-friendly meals, pasta casserole, pizza casserole, pizza pasta fushion