One Pot Pizza Pasta Bake

One Pot Pizza Pasta Bake

When you need a homemade meal in 30 minutes or less, grab this Pizza Pasta Bake recipe. It’s Italian-American comfort food at its best, with your favorite pizza flavors in every cheesy bite. Best of all, everything goes right in one pot so cleanup is a breeze!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings (1 cup each)

Calories 494kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

16 ounces ground Italian sausage (see note 1)
3 cups water
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
16 ounces rotini pasta (see note 2)
6 ounces mini pepperoni divided (see note 3)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
red chili flakes to taste, optional
2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or large oven-proof skillet, add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Drain well if desired.
Stir in water, tomato sauce, pasta, half of the mini pepperoni, basil, garlic powder, oregano, and red chili flakes, if using. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 12 to 14 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat broiler on HIGH. Top pasta with mozzarella cheese and remaining mini pepperoni. Broil until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil if desired. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Italian sausage: Omit this if you want to focus on just pepperoni (your yield will be less).
Rotini pasta: Use any small pasta shape that you love. Some other family favorites include cavatappi, farfalle (bowtie), rigatoni, and penne. All good choices!
Pepperoni: I love mini pepperoni here, but regular-sized pepperoni works just as well.
Yield: This recipe makes about 12 cups of casserole, enough for 8 to 12 servings depending on how much everybody wants to eat.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition