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Square overhead image of a pizza casserole in a white dish.
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Supreme Pizza Casserole

A flavorful pizza casserole includes Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, olives, and plenty of melty cheese!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Pizza Casserole, Pizza Casserole with Pasta
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 540kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

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.
    Cooked pasta in a pot.
  • 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.
    Cooked Italian sausage on a paper towel lined plate.
  • 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.
    Sauteing vegetables in a cast iron skillet.
  • 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.
    Stirring together filling ingredients for pizza casserole in a cast iron skillet.
  • Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over top. Arrange pepperoni over top of the cheese.
    Process shot showing how to make pizza casserole.
  • 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!
    Close overhead shot of an easy pizza casserole recipe in a white dish on a wooden table.

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 casserole | Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 1542mg | Potassium: 809mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 699IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 3mg