I highly recommend this Pizza Pasta Bake if you are stuck with what to make for dinner. It has all the delicious elements of a pepperoni pizza except in a pasta dish. It’s super cheesy and takes little time to prepare.
An Easy Twist on Baked Pasta
This is not your typical pasta meal. It is made with penne, ooey gooey mozzarella, spicy pepperoni, and flavorful veggies. So, basically pasta with pizza toppings. Who knew it would taste so good? Plus, there’s no need to make homemade sauce here which can save time if you are looking for a quick meal to prepare for your family.
My kids will always eat pizza. Pepperoni or plain cheese are their absolute favorites. We used to buy frozen pizza a lot but switched it up and made it with fresh pizza dough from the grocery store. They love the taste so much more, especially the pizza sauce. We also get to control the amount of cheese and pepperoni we add (which is usually a lot). To switch up our dinner menu, we tried out this Pizza Pasta Bake since it has all of the flavors they know and love, and it was a hit. Even though I was skeptical about the mushrooms and olives, they didn’t mind at all!
What You’ll Need to Make the Pizza Pasta Bake
- Olive oil – This is used when cooking your sausage and vegetables on the stovetop
- Onion – Finely diced
- White mushrooms – Sliced
- Green bell pepper – Seeded, cored, and diced
- Black olives – You can get these slices in a can, just remember to drain before use
- Mild Italian sausage – Remove the casings before cooking
- Salt
- Pepper
- Penne pasta – Cook according to package directions before adding to the bake
- Marinara sauce – Any flavor or brand will do, or I highly recommend making our homemade marinara sauce recipe.
- Mozzarella – Shredded
- Pepperoni
- Non-Stick Spray – This is to keep the bake from sticking to your casserole dish
- Parsley – Fresh chopped parsley is a great garnish but optional
How to Make Pizza Pasta Bake
- Get prepped. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and prep your 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta. Boil salted water in a large pot for your pasta and cook it according to the package directions.
- Cook the veggies. In a large pan or skillet, heat to medium heat and add olive oil. Cook the onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper until they are just tender. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Brown the sausage. Next is the sausage. Add this to your pan and break it up with a spoon while it’s cooking. It should take around 5-7 minutes to be fully cooked through.
- Add olives. Turn off the heat and stir in the black olives.
- Mix it all up. In your baking dish, add your cooked pasta, sausage and veggie mixture, and marinara sauce. Stir gently to combine.
- Add cheese and pepperoni. Top the bake with the mozzarella and the pepperoni slices.
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown and bubble. At this point, you are melting the cheese and heating the pasta bake through.
- Time to eat. Garnish with fresh parsley if you desire and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegetarian: Want to skip the meat? Replace the sausage and pepperoni with more of your favorite vegetables. Some that we enjoy with this recipe are zucchini and spinach.
- Meat lovers: Omit the veggies and add ham, bacon, ground beef, or a combination! Just be sure that the meat is fully cooked before adding it to the bake.
- Italian sausage: We use mild but if you are looking to turn up the heat, you can swap it for hot Italian sausage!
- Cheese: For a slightly different flavor, replace some of the mozzarella cheese with parmesan. It adds a nice, sharp bite.
- Pasta: If you don’t have any penne, no worries. Rotini, ziti, and other short kinds of pasta make great substitutions.
- Pepperoni: Classic or turkey will work!
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
You can prepare this Pizza Pasta Bake the day before and store it in the refrigerator. Follow all of the steps except preheating the oven and baking. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate until dinner time. Be sure to pull it out and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
More Yummy Pasta Bake Recipes
Pizza Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 8 ounces white mushrooms sliced
- 1 green bell pepper cored, seeded and diced
- 1 small can of sliced black olives drained
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage casings removed
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking spray
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup pepperoni
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook penne according to package directions.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the meat and vegetable mixture.
- Add the onion, mushrooms and bell pepper to the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the sausage to the pan. Cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until meat is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir the olives into the sausage mixture.
- Drain the penne pasta and pour it into a 9″x13″ pan that’s been coated with cooking spray.
- Add the sausage mixture and marinara sauce to the pan and toss gently to coat the pasta.
- Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the cheese and arrange pepperoni over the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and just starting to brown.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
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