Meat Lovers Pizza Pasta Bake
All your favorite pizza flavors come together in this easy to make pizza pasta casserole.
Equipment
- 13x9 inch oven safe casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 3 oz sliced pepperoni sausage
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp pepper,
- salt, to taste
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shedded
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2.25 oz sliced black olives, drained
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 13x9 inch oven safe casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Cook pasta al dente, according to package instructions, drain. Toss cooked pasta in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and pour into prepared casserole dish.
- In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium het. Brown Italian sausage breaking it up into crumbles with a wooden spatula as it cooks .
- Add sliced mushrooms and diced green bell pepper when sausage is just slightly pink. Continue to cook until mushrooms and bell peppers are soft and sausage is cooked through.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour marinara sauce into the pan and add ½ of the sliced pepperoni to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Add pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes if desired.
- Cook meat sauce over low heat for 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to combine and heat through. Stirring occasionally.
- Taste and season with salt if needed.
- Sprinkle pasta in the casserole dish with ½ of the of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Add the sauce and stir together with the cheese and pasta. Spread mixture out evenly with the back of the wooden spatula.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
- Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese, reserved pepperoni slices and sliced olives.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly and melted.
- Remove foil and switch oven setting to broil. Cook until mozzarella cheese browns along the edges, about 3-4 minutes. Watch this carefully so it doesn’t burn.
- Remove from oven and allow casserole to rest for 10 minutes to let it set up before serving.
- Garnish with additional freshly chopped parsley to serve.
- Serve with a crisp green salad and freshly baked garlic bread to round out the meal.