Skip the pizza delivery tonight! Turn your beloved pepperoni pizza into this popular casserole with pasta, marinara, pepperoni and lots of cheese.
In this recipe
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Simple tips for the best pizza casserole
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Delicious variations
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Add a light side + wine
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Make it ahead
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How to store leftovers
Pizza Casserole is the perfect comfort food. It’s a warm and cheesy baked pasta with marinara sauce and your favorite pepperoni pizza toppings: melty mozzarella cheese and sliced pepperoni. I add peppers, onions, mushrooms and black olives to enhance flavors and textures.
My favorite thing about pizza casserole is that it satisfies my pizza and pasta cravings at the same time. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner: bring the whole family together because it’s a meal everyone will love!
This casserole is easy to make, but here are a few tips I’d like to share:
- Cook pasta al dente. That means it should still have some bite. It shouldn’t be soft or mushy. Otherwise it will overcook in the oven.
- After cooking, drain your sausage to remove excess fat that you don’t want in your casserole.
- The sauce provides most of the flavor, so use a marinara sauce you love, buy a high-quality one, or make your own.
Delicious variations
Customize Pizza Casserole based on your preferences and what you have on hand. Here are some ways you can change up the recipe:
- Add some extra veggies by adding artichoke hearts, broccoli, or spinach.
- Use other short pasta like rotini, rigatoni, and cavatappi.
- Make it a vegetarian dish by leaving out the sausage and pepperoni, or use a vegetarian sausage alternative.
Add a light side + wine
Make it ahead
Pizza Casserole is a great make-ahead dinner. You have two options:
Bake it ahead: Assemble and bake the casserole and let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to five days. When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap and cover with foil. Heat in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes until warmed through.
Assemble now, bake later: This casserole can be assembled, refrigerated and baked just before serving. Simply assemble the casserole, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for up to three months. Since the casserole will be cold, you will need to bake it for about 10 minutes longer. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
CONTINUE READING:
How to store leftovers
Place leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge or freezer. It will keep in the fridge for up to five days and in the freezer for up to three months.
Reheat chilled leftovers in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. To reheat frozen leftovers, place in an ovenproof casserole dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until warmed through.
More casseroles with pasta
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Beef Noodle Casserole
- Cheesy tortellini casserole
- Tuna Tomato Pasta Casserole
- Pasta casserole with ham and cheese
Pizza casserole
ingredients
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Saltfor pasta cooking water
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cooking sprayto grease the casserole dish
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16 ounces dry penne
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8th ounces Italian sausages (raw or pre-cooked)
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1/2 Red peppercored and chopped
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1/2 green paprikacored and chopped
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1/2 small Red onionchopped
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4 ounces Baby Bella Mushroomstrimmed and sliced
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1/4 Cup black olives, sliced
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24 ounces (2 1/2 cups) Store bought or homemade Marinara sauce
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1/2 Cup grated parmesan cheese
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon dried basil
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
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4 ounces pepperoni slices
method
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Preheat the oven and prepare the casserole dish:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. put it aside
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Cook pasta:
Fill a large saucepan with water, season generously with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles in boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Strain the pasta into a colander placed in the sink and set aside.
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Meanwhile, cook the sausage:
Place the sausages on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut them in half lengthwise. Then cut them into 1/2 inch thick crescents. If you’re using raw sausages, they may fall apart a little, and that’s okay.
Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes, until evenly browned. You don’t need oil as the sausages release enough so they don’t stick to the pan. Turn off the heater. Tilt the pan and use a spoon to scoop out and discard as much fat as possible.
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Prepare sauce:
In a large bowl, add marinara sauce, parmesan, garlic powder, dried basil, and dried oregano. Mix with a spoon to combine. You can also do this in the same pot that the pasta was cooked in!
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Combine the filling:
Add the cooked pasta and sausages, peppers, onions, mushrooms and olives. Stir to combine. I like to use two large spoons to mix the mixture together until everything is coated in the sauce.
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Assemble casserole:
Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella evenly on top and top with pepperoni slices.
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Bake and serve:
Cover casserole tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and grill on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is completely melted and lightly browned. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn! Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 421 | calories |
| 23g | Fat |
| 33g | carbohydrates |
| 20g | protein |
