Description
This hearty Pizza Casserole combines classic pizza flavors with comforting baked pasta. Featuring fusilli pasta, Italian sausage, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni, it's a crowd-pleasing dish perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz fusilli pasta
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 lb bulk Italian sausage (sweet or hot)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms quartered
Seasonings and Sauce
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
- 3 15-oz cans strained tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
Cheese and Toppings
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup (about 4 oz) sliced pepperoni
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set it aside. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Cook the sausage: While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the Italian sausage, breaking it into small bite-sized pieces, for 6 to 8 minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the diced onion, minced garlic, diced bell pepper, and quartered mushrooms to the skillet. Cook until the onion softens, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in kosher salt, red pepper flakes, dried basil, and dried oregano. Mix well, then add strained tomatoes. Stir and bring the mixture to a simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Assemble the casserole: Combine the meat sauce with the cooked pasta, then add half of the pepperoni slices and mix thoroughly. Pour half of this mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly on top. Add the remaining pasta mixture, then finish with the remaining mozzarella cheese and top with the remaining pepperoni slices.
- Bake: Cover the casserole with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is beginning to brown.
Notes
- Use fusilli pasta for better sauce adherence, but any short pasta like rotini or penne will work.
- Choose sweet or hot Italian sausage depending on your spice preference.
- Strained tomatoes can be substituted with good quality tomato sauce for convenience.
- Ensure pasta is al dente as it will continue cooking in the oven to avoid mushiness.
- Covering the casserole during the first bake keeps it moist, while uncovering allows the cheese to brown nicely.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
