Prepare your pasta as a Pizza Casserole using penne for the crust. Made with all your favorite pizza toppings, this super simple deep-dish pizza pasta bake dinner is delicious!
Easy Pizza Pasta
Our easy Pizza Casserole recipe takes tender penne pasta, browned beef, tomato sauce, pepperoni slices, and plenty of melty mozzarella, and packages it all into a rectangular pan.
Why prepare your pasta, crust, pizza sauce separately when you can simplify the steps and save time by baking them all together? This pepperoni pizza casserole recipe with pasta is a fun way to turn a multi-part meal into a one-dish, family-friendly dinner.
A recipe for pizza casserole can be customized to fit so many dietary constraints – omit the meat for a vegetarian version, ditch the dairy cheese (and the meat) to make this vegan, pile on your favorite pizza toppings, or prepare your own keto pizza casserole recipe without pasta and use roasted cauliflower as the crust.
Why We Love Pizza Casserole Recipes
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Pizza casseroles are family-friendly comfort food and picky eater approved.
- Great to bring to potluck gatherings, parties, and holiday celebrations.
- Perfect freezer-friendly, make-ahead meal for busy weeknights.
Pizza Casserole Ingredients
- Ground beef: Feel free to swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken. Or another option is to use a mixture of Italian sausage and half-ground beef, or all Italian sausage.
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Minced garlic
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Rotini or penne pasta: I recommend using rotini or penne noodles for this recipe, however, you could also use bowtie noodles or ziti if that’s all you have on hand. Even macaroni noodles or shells will work well.
- Spaghetti or marinara sauce: Feel free to use a store-bought jar or make your own homemade pizza sauce.
- Italian seasoning
- Pepperoni
- Fresh shredded parmesan cheese (optional garnish)
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Vary The Veggies: Use your favorite freshly roasted or sauteed veggies in this baked pasta pizza. Some ideas include mushrooms, olives, red or green bell pepper, spinach, and broccoli.
- Change The Cheese: Preparing a pizza pasta casserole with mozzarella will make this taste like a classic pizza, but you could also use provolone, Italian blend, parmesan, or even cheddar cheese instead.
- Prepare Without Pepperoni: If you don’t love pepperoni, leave them off your pizza or use Canadian bacon, bacon bits, my homemade meatballs, or any other type of meat in its place.
- Swap The Sauce: I like to use a classic marinara or spaghetti sauce because I think it resembles a pizza sauce the most. Feel free to use a homemade pizza sauce or make an alfredo style pizza with a white sauce instead.
How to Make Pizza Casserole
- Prepare The Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Brown The Beef: Cook the ground beef, onions and garlic, salt, and pepper, in oil until no pink remains in the meat. Drain any extra grease. Stir the spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning into the browned beef until hot. Remove from heat.
- Assemble: Mix the cooked pasta and cheese with meat and pour into the baking pan. Layer with cheese and pepperoni and sprinkle Italian seasoning on top.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Making the Best Pizza Casserole
- If you don’t have a large skillet, drain your pasta and place it in a large bowl. Then, pour the sauce over the pasta and mix in the big bowl when the sauce is done.
- The pasta does not need to be fully cooked (cook only to al dente) since it will continue cooking in the sauce when baked in the oven.
- If you don’t have Italian seasoning you can substitute a mixture of oregano, basil, and rosemary.
How to Store Pizza Casserole
- To Store: Once baked, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: You can free the unbaked casserole for up to three months.
- To Reheat: Reheat in the oven or microwave until heated through.
More Easy Casserole Recipes
Other Easy Dinners
- One Pan Enchiladas
- Chicken Fajitas (Sheet Pan Recipe)
- Taco Spaghetti
- Taco Bake Casserole
- Lazy Enchiladas
- Pork Chop Casserole
- Big Mac Pizza
- Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole
- Sushi Bake
- Big Mac Tatertot Casserole
- Cornbread Cowboy Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 16 ounces Rotini or Penne pasta uncooked
- 24 ounce spaghetti or marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup pepperoni
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Fresh shredded parmesan for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Cook pasta according to directions on package for al dente, drain and set aside.16 ounces Rotini or Penne pasta
- In a LARGE skillet add the olive oil and cook the ground beef, onions and garlic, all seasoned with salt and pepper, until no pink remains in the meat. Drain any extra grease.1 pound ground beef, ½ tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, Salt and pepper to taste
- Add the spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning to the ground beef and stir to heat. Remove from heat.24 ounce spaghetti or marinara sauce, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Add the cooked pasta and 1 cup of cheese to the meat and stir to mix.2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Pour into the prepared 9×13 pan and spread evenly in the pan.
- Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Lay the slices of pepperoni on top of the cheese.1 cup pepperoni
- Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning.½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.Fresh shredded parmesan for garnish
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Once baked, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: You can free the unbaked casserole for up to three months.
- To Reheat: Reheat in the oven or microwave until heated through.
- If you don’t have a large skillet, drain your pasta and place it in a large bowl. Then when the sauce is done, pour the sauce over the pasta and mix in the big bowl.
- The pasta does not need to be fully cooked (cook only to al dente) since it will continue cooking in the sauce when baked in the oven.
- If you don’t have Italian season you can substitute a mixture of oregano, basil, and rosemary.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 911mg | Potassium: 687mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 568IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 4mg
Pizza lovers, get ready. You are going to love this fun play on your favorite dish. Pizza casserole is delicious, easy to make, and loved by all.
