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Pizza Pasta Casserole features all of the pizza flavors you love but in a delicious cheesy casserole. An easy dinner idea where everything bakes in one pan.
Combining pasta + casseroles is always a great hearty & filling option for dinner. Try my Fiesta Chicken Casserole or this Spaghetti Casserole for more pasta casserole dinner ideas.
Pizza Pasta Casserole Recipe
This pizza casserole is one dish that the whole family can agree on! Full of tender pasta noodles, lots of cheesy goodness, pizza seasonings, and pizza faves like bell pepper, onion, and pepperoni.
This casserole is very customizable so feel free to add your favorite toppings, switch out the protein, or make it spicy! Simple to make in one pan and it makes for a hearty main dish, all-in-one dinner recipe.
Why Your Family Will Love It
- Family Approved : This is a dinner recipe that is a hit with everyone – kids and adults! Meaning, it’s perfect to serve for dinner because everyone can enjoy it.
- Versatile & Adaptable : If you love recipes that you can change up and switch to your preferences, then this is the recipe for you. Use any ground meat, switch up the dried seasonings to want you want, make it spicy, make it cheesier, use a different pasta shape. There are so many options!
- One Pan Meal : Everything cooks in the oven in just one pan. It’s the perfect all-in-one dinner that does not require much effort for a side dish. I keep it simple and buy a bagged salad mix, add in some sliced cucumbers and halved cherry tomatoes, and call it good.
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Beef – This is the most mild protein to use for this casserole. If you want more spice, or want to replicate a sausage pizza, then use ground Italian sausage instead. You can also pick a leaner protein like ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Italian Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Rotini Pasta – This is the best pasta shape to use because it has plenty of grooves and little nooks and crannies for all the cheesy goodness to hide.
- Pepperoni – Turkey pepperoni can be used if wanted. I use traditional pepperoni. You can also use mini pepperoni if you don’t want the extra prep step of chopping up the pepperoni rounds.
- Green Bell Pepper
- Finely Diced Onion
- Marinara Sauce/Pasta Sauce – Use your favorite! You need 36 ounces total. I like to use a 24 ounce can of pasta sauce + 10-12 oz can of pizza sauce.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – For the best creamy melt, grate the cheese from a block on a cheese grater rather than using the pre-shredded bagged cheese.
How To Make a Pizza Casserole With Pasta
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rotini pasta according to the directions on the back of the box.
- In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain excess grease from the pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and drained pasta, ground beef mixture, pepperoni, bell pepper, onion, marinara sauce, and 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Dump the contents from the mixing bowl into the prepared baking dish. Evenly spread it out. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and add the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese along with the 20 whole slices of pepperoni. Return it to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Serve hot!
How To Store Leftovers of Pizza Casserole
There are a few ways to store leftovers of this recipe. Here are some of my tips and helpful information for storing casseroles.
- Fridge : Cover the casserole with plastic wrap, or a lid, and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, heat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes (I like to cover it with tin foil when reheating). Add some fresh cheese on top for garnish. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave on a microwave-safe plate.
- Freezer Meal : Make the recipe as directed and divide it between two 8×8-inch baking pans. Cook one for dinner, and then tightly cover the other in plastic wrap and then in tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the inside of the casserole is at 165 degrees F. It may take longer if the dish is cold from thawing in the fridge overnight.
Expert Tips
- Pizza Toppings : Add your favorite pizza toppings to the casserole. Black olives, chopped mushrooms, or Canadian bacon are all great options.
- Pasta : I prefer the rotini shaped pasta but you can use any similar shaped pasta like penne, ziti, medium shell pasta, or bow-tie pasta.
- Make It Spicy! : Add some cayenne red pepper or red pepper chili flakes in with the other dried seasonings.
- Shred Your Own Cheese : For the best creamy and smooth melt, I highly recommend shredding the mozzarella cheese, with a cheese grater, from a block of cheese. You will need a 16 ounce block of cheese in order to get 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Softer Bell Pepper + Onion : If you prefer a softer texture to the onion and bell pepper, cook it with the ground beef instead of adding it into the casserole mixture inside the mixing bowl.
Kitchen Products I Recommend
- 9×13 Casserole Pan : This glass Pyrex Casserole Dish comes with a lid for easy storage.
- Ground Meat Chopper : This is must-have in everyone’s kitchen. If you cook with ground meat a lot, then you need this Ground Meat Chopper Tool. Cooks and crumbles ground meats into small little pieces.
- Cheese Grater : I did not realize that I would ever have a favorite cheese grater, but I do, and it’s this OXO Box Grater.
- Rotary Cheese Grater : If you want to make shredding cheese easy, then this Rotary Shredder is a must! You will love watching it work.
Pizza Pasta Casserole
Pizza Pasta Casserole features all of the pizza flavors you love but in a delicious cheesy casserole. An easy dinner idea where everything bakes in one pan.
Ingredients
- 1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 package (6 oz) pepperoni (chopped, reserve 20 whole slices for top)
- 1 green bell pepper finely diced
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 36 ounces marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 20 whole pepperoni (reserved from the bag)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set it aside for now.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander but do not rinse it.1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
- In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, an kosher salt until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the excess grease from the pan.1 pound ground beef, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the cooked & drained rotini pasta, ground beef mixture, chopped pepperoni (save 20 whole pepperoni for the top), finely diced bell pepper, finely diced onion, marinara sauce, and 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese.Stir together until everything is well combined.1 package (6 oz) pepperoni, 1 green bell pepper, 1 small onion, 36 ounces marinara sauce, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over top, and then evenly place the 20 whole pepperoni slices on top. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 20 whole pepperoni
Notes
TIP : If you prefer softer onion and bell pepper pieces, add them in with the ground beef and dried seasonings, and cook along with the ground beef. This will help soften them prior to the oven.
Marinara Sauce : You need 36 ounces total which is 1 1/2 bottles of 24 ounce jars of pasta sauce. You can also use one 24 oz pasta sauce + one 10-12 oz pizza sauce for a twist.
Onion : Use a white onion, yellow onion, or sweet Vidalia onion.
Nutrition
Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 1094mg | Potassium: 625mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 900IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 253mg | Iron: 3mg
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