Pizza Pasta Casserole

This Pizza Pasta Casserole has all the delicious flavors of pizza, yet in a freezer friendly cheesy casserole! Pizza Casserole is an easy recipe made in 30 minutes, and one that the whole family will love.

Raise the bar on a family favorite meal like traditional pizza, or your go-to pasta recipes. This pepperoni pizza pasta bake combines both into one.

This Pizza pasta is cooked pasta that has been mixed with layers of pizza toppings, gooey cheese, and pizza sauce.

This is an easy pepperoni pizza pasta bake, yet substitutions and additions are most welcome. Easily to add any of your favorite pizza toppings to make this easy meal your own.

This casserole recipe might even take less time to make than a homemade pizza would, without sacrificing on taste.

Busy weeknights call for easy meals, and this is one that we make often. Since this is a freezer friendly casserole, I like to double the batch and reserve one for later baking.

Ingredients Required

These are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make Pizza Pasta Casserole. As always, the full recipe is on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

• Rotini Pasta
• Pizza Sauce
• Milk
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Parmesan Cheese
• Pepperoni
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
   
   In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions on the package for al dente pasta. Drain the water from the rotini noodles after cooking.
   
2. While pasta is cooking, remove 24 slices of pepperoni to use on the top of the casserole. With the remaining slices, chop the pepperoni.
   
   Note: If you prefer to leave the pepperoni whole, it will not affect the recipe.
   
3. Stir the following ingredients into the pot of drained pasta: pizza sauce, milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, parmesan cheese and the chopped pepperoni.
   
   Mix well, and place in the prepared baking dish using a rubber spatula.
   
4. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top then add the whole pepperoni slices.
   
   
   
5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
   
   This casserole only requires a short time to bake because the hot pasta warms the sauce, so baking 15 minutes is all that is required to heat through.
   
   It’s done when the cheese is melted and is golden brown.
   
   If you’d like the top have some crisp cheese pieces, broil for 1 minute after baking. Be careful not to burn it.
   
   OPTIONAL GARNISH: For added flavor, I like to top this pizza pasta bake recipe with chopped fresh basil right before serving.

Serving Suggestions

We like to serve this pepperoni pizza casserole with a green salad along with garlic bread or garlic breadsticks.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

Can I Make this Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can most definitely cook and assemble the casserole to bake at later time. Sometimes you need that easy weeknight dinner ready to pop into the oven when you get home.

Just make sure to cook pasta to barely al dente (shorten the boiling time by 2 minutes). This will help prevent the pasta from being overcooked in the oven.

Yet note, the bake time might be longer if stored in refrigerator and placed into the oven while cold.

Can I Freeze Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe?

Yes, this pasta dish is great to have an easy freezer meal on hand.

Just prepare this recipe as stated, yet do not bake. Instead of baking, set aside and allow to cool. Once cooled, cover well with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months.

I recommend removing it from the freezer the day before you want to enjoy, and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You can cook from frozen, yet allow for extra cooking time.

Recipe Substitutions and Additions:

Not only is this pepperoni pizza pasta casserole recipe such an easy recipe to make, it’s so versatile too. Here are some suggestions:

• Meat – Pepperoni is a fan favorite yet you can use cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, ham, turkey pepperoni, turkey sausage, ground turkey or ground chicken.
  
  
• Pasta – You can u your favorite short pasta such as bowtie pasta, penne pasta, or rigatoni pasta.
  
  
• Sauce – I like to use jarred pizza sauce or even marinara sauce sauce for this recipe. I find it has that thick bold and robust flavor that you’d want.
  
  You could use spaghetti sauce, pasta sauce, or tomato sauce, yet know that it is a thinner watery sauce with less seasoning and flavor. Sometimes I use a combination if I have leftover sauces in the fridge.
  
  
• Cheese – Mozzarella cheese is a great choice, yet you can use any others you prefer such as an Italian blend or Monterey Jack Cheese.
  
  
• Vegetables – Add in some veggies to this pizza pasta recipe if you’d like. Suggestions are well drained sliced mushrooms, green peppers, onions, black olives.

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