Description
This Pizza Pasta Casserole combines the flavors of pizza with the heartiness of a pasta bake. It’s a comforting and satisfying dish that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta:
- 12 ounces pasta (penne or rotini)
Meat Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara or pizza sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cheese and Toppings:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 20–25 slices pepperoni
- Optional toppings: black olives, green bell peppers, mushrooms, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook pasta: Boil pasta until al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Prepare meat sauce: Brown meat, onion, and garlic. Add marinara sauce, seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Toss cooked pasta with meat sauce. Layer half in the dish, top with cheeses, remaining pasta, cheeses, pepperoni, and optional toppings.
- Bake: Cover with foil, bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Serve: Let cool for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use mini pepperoni for better coverage or turkey pepperoni for a lighter version.
- You can prepare this casserole up to a day ahead and refrigerate before baking.
- Great for freezing—just assemble, cover, and freeze before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
