Pizza and pasta in one cheesy-baked casserole? Yes, please!
This is an easy pizza pasta recipe packed with all of the flavors of our fave pizzeria pie and a generous helping of cheese and pepperoni.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights For Pizza Pasta
- Flavor: This recipe has all of the flavor of our favorite supreme pizza baked into a zesty pizza pasta bake.
- Prep note: Cook the pasta until al dente (firm)—usually the lower end of cooking time on the package; it will cook more as it bakes in the oven.
- Time-Saving Tip: Skip the shredding; pre-shredded pizza cheese works just fine in this recipe! You can also use pre-cooked sausage in this recipe (you’ll still need to soften the peppers and onions).
What You’ll Need To Make Pizza Pasta
- Meat: Sausage adds lots of flavor, and ground beef is added to make it extra hearty. Use just one or the other if it’s what you have on hand.
- If using just beef, add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning as beef isn’t seasoned like sausage is.
- Pasta: I love Cavatappi for this recipe as the curly shape holds up well, and the sauce and fixings are held in the curls. Other options are penne, ziti, or farfalle.
- Vegetables: Use whatever veggies you like on pizza. We add bell peppers, but mushrooms and spinach are other great additions.
- Sauce: I use pasta sauce, but you can replace up to 1 ½ cups with pizza sauce if you’d like. I find pizza sauce to be a bit sweeter, which is why I prefer at least some pasta sauce in this recipe.
- Cheese: Use shredded mozzarella cheese or your favorite Italian cheese blend in this recipe.
Other Toppings to Try
Top this pizza pasta recipe with sliced mushrooms, sliced black olives, jalapenos, onions, sundried tomatoes, pineapple tidbits, or other pizza topping faves!
How to Make Pizza Pasta (overview)
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
- Brown the meat. Add bell peppers and pasta sauce and simmer until thickened.
- Combine in a baking dish and top with cheese and pepperoni.
- Bake until golden and bubbly.
Like most baked casseroles, this recipe is great with breadsticks or crusty bread and a fresh side salad. Try Caesar salad or our favorite Italian salad (everyone loves this salad!).
Storing Leftovers
- Assemble pizza pasta ahead of time and refrigerate up to 48 hours before baking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Portions can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 4 months. The pasta will not be as firm, but it will still be delicious!
My Favorite Zesty Casseroles
Did your family love this Pizza Pasta? Leave a rating or a comment below.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cavatappi penne, or rotini
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 8 ounces Italian sausage mild or hot
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ½ green bell pepper diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes drained, 14.5 ounces each
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 jars pasta sauce 24 ounces each
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 28 slices pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook pasta el dente according to package directions. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, brown onion, sausage, and beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain any fat.
- Add in garlic and red and green peppers, and cook 2-3 minutes until tender. Add drained tomatoes, oregano, and pasta sauce. Stir well.
- Combine pasta and tomato sauce and pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Top with cheese and pepperoni slices.
- Bake 35-40 minutes uncovered or until cheese is melted and pasta is heated through.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This sounds delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe.
This pizza pasta was delicious and remarkably simple to make. Thanks for sharing and loved the photos!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Scott!
Thanks for the recipe! Looks perfect for when I don’t want to deal with rolling out a crust.
Enjoy Liz! Our family loves this one!
Plan on making this tomorrow but am unclear how to cook the sausage. Is it sliced or removed from the casings. Thanks in advance Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Great question, I’ve updated the recipe to be more clear. This is removed from the casings (or bulk sausage).
Enjoy!
1st time I went strictly by the recipe and oh my gosh it was delicious.
This time I added black olives on my husbands part and green peppers and mushrooms all over. I did not think it could get any better but my husband said he thought it did. May become our #1. I used packaged sausage crumbles and Contadina squeeze bottle pizza sauce to make it even more simple.
Yummy additions!! Thank you for sharing!
Holly, this yummy casserole was so popular on our last Wonderful Wednesday blog hop that it will be featured this week! The final party of 2014. Wow!
Congrats!
Oh wow, thank you Sinea!!
Hi. Do you think that I could make this a day ahead to take to someone’s house? If so, what would be the best method? Thank you.
I haven’t tried it but I would think if you put it all together you could refrigerate it overnight and bake it when you arrive.
Use extra pasta sauce if made a night a head as pasta will soak up the sauce
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on our Special Edition of Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you have a very special day and enjoy your new Red Plate!
Miz Helen
Thank you for featuring my recipe Miz Helen!
Delicious dinner idea! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
I am seriously making this sooner rather than later! Have you tried Classico pasta sauces? They are delicious and have a very short ingredient list. Classico even makes a pizza sauce that tastes great and would work in this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely look at Classico next time I head to the grocery store!
Made this last night for supper OMG it was so delicious. Husband said this is one of his top 10 favorite meals. Can wait for leftovers tonight. Great website
Thank you Pat! :) So glad your family loved this!
what brand of pasta sauce did you use for there are so many out there, sure sounds yummy thanks
I love either Newman’s Own or Costco’s Kirkland Marinara!
Hi Holly,
This is a great Pizza Pasta Bake, it looks delicious. Hope you are having a great day and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
this is always a hit with the kids
This looks gooey and delicious. :)
Yum…my 2 favorite foods…pizza and pasta! Looks so irresistible–I’m definitely making this!! :) Pinned!
Hi HOlly, great Pizza dish! How about adding it to the Food on Friday: Pizza collection over at Carole’s Chatter? Cheers
Thanks for the invite Carole!
This looks delicious and so Morris’s! Must make this as a weekend treat soon
Yum this looks great, and such a good idea. We do eat a bit of pasta so might give this a go next time. Thanks for the post. Blessings
sounds delicious! Just pinned!