Easy Pizza Casserole with Pasta

Name: Easy Pizza Casserole with Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 lb Pasta; 1 lb Ground Beef (93/7); 1 Onion (Diced); 1 Green Pepper (Diced 1 1/2 cups); 3 cloves Garlic (Minced); 1 jar Pasta Sauce; 1 cup Pepperoni Slices (Plus more for topping); 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella (Divided); 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning; 1/2 cup Sliced Black Olives

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Pizza Casserole is a delightful fusion of two beloved classics that will take your taste buds on a joyous journey! With our Pizza Casserole with Pasta, every meal is a celebration, and every bite is a taste of happiness!

The pizza casserole is in a baking dish on a wooden background.

When you want the taste of a delicious pizza on pizza night but don't have enough time to make a pizza dough, this easy pizza casserole recipe is for you! Add your favorite pizza toppings to this recipe and it will become a family favorite on those busy weeknights!

So, get ready to dig in and experience the best of both worlds – the comfort of pasta and the excitement of pizza, all in one unforgettable bite.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients to Gather
Step by Step Instructions
Tips and Tricks
Variations
Storage Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Dinner Ideas
📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's an easy weeknight dinner! It doesn't get easier than this easy casserole. This pizza pasta bake is cooked in one large skillet and then baked in a casserole dish.
It can be made ahead of time! The best part about this recipe is you can make it ahead of time! If you have no time to make dinner on one night of the week, you can make this pizza bake, pour it into a baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator. Then bake it when you are ready!
It's versatile! The great thing about this recipe is that you can adjust it to what your family likes.

Ingredients to Gather

You only need a few simple ingredients for this pizza pasta bake!

Ingredients for the pizza casserole are labeled.

Pasta. Your favorite pasta shape will work in this recipe. I used rigatoni but you can use penne pasta, rotini noodles, cavatappi pasta, or farfalle pasta.
Pizza sauce. Jarred tomato sauce or your can even make homemade marinara sauce. You'll want to use a tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce that your whole family will enjoy.
Ground beef. One pound of a lean ground beef.
Vegetables. We will be using black olives, green peppers, onions, and garlic. Feel free to use whatever toppings your entire family loves.
Pepperoni slices. It's not a pizza night without a pepperoni pizza! Pepperoni slices give this pizza pasta casserole recipe that classic pizza taste.
Italian seasoning. This will give a little more flavor to the jarred tomato sauce.

See printable recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

The ground beef is added to the skillet. — **Step 1:** Preheat the oven to 375 degrees f. Add the olive oil and ground beef to a large skillet. Brown meat for 5-6 minutes over medium heat to medium-high heat.

Chopped green peppers and onions are added to the skillet. — **Step 2:** Add the chopped onions, diced peppers, and crushed garlic to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

The ground beef mixture is seasoned with Italian seasoning. — **Step 3:** Add the Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pan. Mix well.

A jar of pizza sauce is added to the skillet. — **Step 4:** Add the pasta sauce to the meat mixture in the pan. Mix well.

Pasta is cooked in boiling water. — **Step 5:** Bring a pot of water to a boil and oven the box of pasta and cook pasta according to the package instructions.

The sauce is added to the casserole dish. — **Step 6:** Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour mixture into the baking dish.

Mozzerella cheese tops the pasta in the casserole dish. — **Step 7:** Drain pasta and add the cooked pasta to the baking dish. Add 1 ½ cups of the mozzarella cheese and mix. Sprinkle the top with more mozzarella cheese.

Pepperoni is added to the casserole dish. — **Step 8:** Add the pepperoni slices to the top of the pasta. Place the dish in the preheated 375 degree f oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown.

Tips and Tricks

To give yourself a little more room, mix the pasta and sauce in a large mixing bowl instead of right in the casserole dish.
The ground beef should be 93/7 or higher. Sometimes meat can have a lot of fat in it. 80/20 might have too much fat for this dish.
Double this recipe and freeze one for an easy dinner recipe another night! Let one cool to room temperature and then freeze it.
Serve this pizza casserole with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Be sure to add some sourdough dinner rolls, Instant Pot dinner rolls, brioche dinner rolls, sourdough breadsticks, or whole wheat dinner rolls to this dinner!

Variations

Change the meat! If you don't have ground beef or prefer to not use it, you can use Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
Change the veggies! Add chopped broccoli, diced zucchini, sliced mushrooms, or a combination or red bell peppers and green bell peppers. Use what you have in the house!
Make it spicy! Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes for a little extra heat!

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the pasta in a microwave safe bowl or in an oven safe bowl in the oven.

You can also freeze this pasta right in the baking dish for future use. Make the pasta dish completely and then cover it with aluminum foil. Freeze the baking dish for up to 3 months. To reheat, place the baking dish in the refrigerator until it is defrosted and then bake it for 30 minutes.

A spoon is in the casserole dish of the pizza casserole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this pepperoni pizza casserole with gluten free pasta?

Yes! You can use your favorite gluten free pasta. Even lentil pasta or chick pea pasta will work in this recipe.

Can I make this recipe vegetarian?

Yes! Leave out the pepperoni and the ground beef. Load up on your favorite veggies to sneak some veggies into your family's meals.

More Dinner Ideas

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