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All of the flavors of your favorite supreme pizza come together in one delicious pasta bake! This pizza casserole is loaded with Italian sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives, marinara sauce, and plenty of gooey, melty cheese, for an easy dinner that the whole family will love.
Table of Contents
We can all use more easy casserole recipes for our weeknight meal rotation! They’re simple to assemble, can be prepped in advance, and are a smart way to stretch ingredients to feed a large group. If your family loves pizza as much as mine, then this easy pizza casserole will quickly become a favorite!
An Easy Pizza Casserole with Pasta is Totally Customizable
Feel free to mix up the ingredients and only include your favorite pizza toppings. For instance, omit the bell peppers and mushrooms; swap out the sausage for ground beef; leave the pepperoni off of the top; or omit the olives. The options are endless, so take the basic idea and make the dish your own!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a delicious pizza casserole. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Pasta: I used rotini here, but any similar short pasta shape will work.
- Italian sausage: mild, sweet, or hot — any variety is great!
- Onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and black olives: classic pizza toppings that add flavor to the casserole and bulk up the dish. Feel free to omit any of these ingredients that your family doesn’t like.
- Kosher salt: to enhance the other flavors in the dish.
- Marinara sauce or pizza sauce: binds the casserole together.
- Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese: because every good pizza needs a lot of cheese!
- Pepperoni: for even more flavor on top of the casserole! This is optional, so leave it off if your family doesn’t like it. Turkey pepperoni also works well.
How to Make Pizza Casserole
This cozy, comfort food dish is a perfect way to sneak plenty of nutritious veggies into your kids! It’s also a delicious option to satisfy both your pizza and your pasta cravings! I’ve included the detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Boil the pasta.
- Brown the sausage in a cast iron skillet.
- Sauté the vegetables in the sausage drippings.
- Stir together the cooked pasta, the cooked sausage, the veggies, and the sauce.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 13 x 9-inch casserole dish, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan, and arrange pepperoni on top.
- Bake until heated through.
What to Serve with this Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe
Here are some simple sides that go well with the pizza pasta casserole recipe:
- Garlic bread, homemade focaccia, breadsticks, or a crusty loaf of no-knead Dutch oven bread
- Green salad with red wine vinaigrette, mixed greens with Dijon vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette, or a classic Caesar salad
- Tomato salad with basil and balsamic
- Cucumber, tomato, and onion salad
- Parmesan roasted cauliflower
- Roasted broccoli or asparagus
- Sauteed asparagus
- 3-ingredient roasted yellow squash or sauteed zucchini
- 2-ingredient Italian sugar snap peas
- Brown sugar glazed carrots
- Sauteed spinach with garlic
- Fennel salad with apples and creamy cider dressing
Preparation and Storage
- Assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes before placing it in the oven. If the dish is still cold when it goes into the oven, you may need to extend the baking time.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s important to note, however, that the texture of the pasta will not be as good when it thaws. Frozen and thawed noodles tend to have a gummy, mushy texture — definitely not ideal.
- Cover and reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also reheat individual portions in a microwave for 1-2 minutes on high power.
Recipe Variations
- Make is spicy by adding crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Swap out the Italian sausage and use ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or turkey sausage.
- Any short pasta shape will work. If you don’t have rotini, try penne, elbows, rigatoni, or ziti.
- Add fresh or dried herbs for even more flavor. Good options include basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Italian seasoning is also a convenient way to get a lot of extra flavor into the dish.
- To feed a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square dish. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
Tips for the Best Pizza Casserole Recipe
- Cook the pasta just until it’s barely al dente (just about tender, but still with a firm bite). The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and you don’t want it to come out mushy, gummy, and overdone.
- Bake the casserole uncovered so that the cheese on top turns brown and the edges get crispy. If you like your cheese and pepperoni even more crispy on top, place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes before serving. Just keep a close eye on it, because it can burn quickly.
- Fresh herbs really brighten up a warm, cozy casserole. I love to garnish with parsley, basil, oregano, or thyme. Some extra grated Parmesan on top is also a great touch!
More Easy Pizza Casserole Recipes to Try
Supreme Pizza Casserole
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
A flavorful pizza casserole includes Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, olives, and plenty of melty cheese!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry rotini pasta or penne pasta
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 (8 ounce) container sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh garlic (about 1 large clove)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce or pizza sauce
- 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained (optional)
- 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 slices pepperoni (optional)
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to package directions for al dente. Drain.
- While the pasta cooks, brown the sausage in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve the drippings in the pan.
- Add the onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic to the sausage drippings in the skillet. Cook, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are tender, about 7-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the cooked pasta with the cooked sausage, cooked vegetables, marinara sauce, and olives. Taste the mixture and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over top. Arrange pepperoni over top of the cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the casserole is heated through. If you’d like the cheese and pepperoni more browned and crispy, place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes.
- Garnish with chopped fresh herbs and serve!
Notes
- Make is spicy by adding crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Swap out the Italian sausage and use ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or turkey sausage.
- Any short pasta shape will work. If you don’t have rotini, try penne, elbows, rigatoni, or ziti.
- Add fresh or dried herbs for even more flavor. Good options include basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Italian seasoning is also a convenient way to get a lot of extra flavor into the dish.
- To feed a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square dish. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the casseroleCalories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 25gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 1542mgPotassium: 809mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 699IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 176mgIron: 3mg
That looks really good, Blair! I’ll put it on my short list. Somehow, I really doubt I’ll get around to learning to make pizza crust and buying takeout or frozen always seems so expensive? Would your Easy Marinara Sauce work here?
Thank you, Marion! Our easy marinara sauce would work great with this recipe.
Hi Blair,
Can your Supreme Pizza Casserole be frozen. Makes a large amount for a couple. Thanks.
Hi Ala,
Yes! Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months. However, it’s important to note that the texture of the pasta will not be as good when it thaws. Frozen and thawed noodles tend to have a gummy, mushy texture which isn’t ideal, but your casserole will still be delicious!