This pepperoni pizza pasta bake is an easy meal that takes minimal prep and ingredients. Combining your favorite pizza flavors into a cheesy pizza pasta bake is a fun and delicious way to switch up the weekly dinner rotations.
Recipe: $6.08 | Per Serving: $0.76 | Servings: 8
We love pizza and pasta so combining the two into an easy weeknight meal was a no-brainer. We love how versatile and easy this pizza pasta casserole is to make, and we always customize it to our tastebuds. Easy Comfort Food Casseroles
Adding in cooked sausage, onions, bell peppers, or other pizza toppings helps to make the dish unique every time. Not to mention that it helps to use up random odds and ends in our fridge, haha.
This is a versatile Easy Comfort Food Casserole that you can customize to your tastes, let me know what you added using the comments below because I love hearing new ideas!
Make sure to let me know if you try some of our other pizza recipes too, like Mini Bagel Pizzas, Muffin Tin Pizza Bombs, Pizza Dough In a Bag, and Air Fryer English Muffin Pizza.
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's easy. Cook your noodles, mix them with some stuff and bake until the cheese is bubbly. This dish can even be prepared in advance for an easier dinner! This is one of our easier dinner recipes, (like Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole).
- It's frugal. If you're looking for a filling dinner recipe that doesn't cost much, this could be it. I personally buy many of the ingredients from our local Dollar Tree or Walmart because I can grab everything pretty cheaply.
- The kids love it! What child doesn't love pizza or spaghetti? This recipe is a delicious mash-up of two great favorites, so you can bet that they're going to clean their plates and ask for more.
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Mozzarella cheese- For that added cheesy goodness you'd expect from a pizza. Note that any cheese you shred yourself will melt nicer than pre-shredded cheeses.
Pizza sauce- Use your favorite pizza sauce or marinara in this recipe. Homemade pizza sauce works fine too.
Mini pepperoni- Regular pepperoni works well too, but they're too large, so that means that they won't be as evenly spread throughout the pasta. If I'm using bigger pepperoni, I usually quarter them with a knife before using it.
If you still have pepperoni on hand, use it in our Pepperoni Pizza Sticks and Air Fryer Tortilla Pizza.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
📖 Variations
Noodle Options- Feel free to use any noodle shape you prefer for this pizza pasta bake. Popular options include penne, rigatoni, or rotini, but even elbow noodles or broken-up spaghetti noodles can work well. Choose the shape that you enjoy most or have on hand for a delicious meal.
🔪 Instructions for Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake
Step 1: Cook your noodles according to package directions and drain the liquid. Return your noodles to the pot.
Step 2: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set the dish aside.
Step 3: Toss your cooked pasta with pizza sauce until well mixed.
Step 4: Add in 1 cup of cheese, some pepperoni, and your sliced olives. Stir to combine.
Step 5: Spread the noodles into the prepared baking dish.
Step 6: Top the noodles with the remaining cheese and toppings.
Step 7: Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- Cooking the Noodles- Ensure that you cook the noodles to "al dente" according to the package instructions. This means they should be firm to the bite. Avoid overcooking them as they will continue to soften as they absorb the sauce and bake in the oven.
- Pepperoni Suggestion- If using large pepperoni slices, consider quartering them before mixing them into the pasta. This ensures they are evenly distributed and not too large when eating. Adjust the size according to your preference for a balanced texture in each bite.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, this pizza pasta can be made in advance. Simply prep it in the baking dish as directed and then cover the top with foil or plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and chill for up to 2 days before removing and baking as directed.
Allow the pan to warm up for about 30 minutes on the counter before baking to avoid going from cold to hot too fast and possibly damaging your baking dish. You may need to extend the baking time a little bit depending on how cold the pasta was when baked. The cheese should be melted throughout.
After being cooked, you can store your leftover pizza pasta in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. For best results, eat within 3 and reheat before eating.
Yes! I like to buy jars of pizza sauce from my local Dollar Tree, but you can find pizza sauce just about anywhere. You can even use homemade pizza sauce or marinara sauce instead.
❤️ More Delicious Pasta Recipes
If you tried this Pizza Pasta Bake, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Pizza Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne noodles ($0.98)
- 1 jar (14oz) pizza sauce ($1.52)
- 1 ½ cup Mozzarella cheese, divided ($1.50)
- ¼ cup mini pepperoni ($1.05)
- 1 can (2.25oz) sliced olives ($1.97)
Optional Pizza Toppings or Add-Ins
- green bell pepper
- onion
- Italian sausage cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- In a large pot of water cook your noodles according to package directions. Drain liquid and return noodles to pot.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Toss with the pizza sauce until well mixed.
- Add in 1 cup of cheese, some pepperoni and olives. Stir to combine.
- Spread the noodle mixture into your prepared baking dish.
- Top with the remaining cheese, pepperoni, and olives.
- Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
- Use various noodle shapes like penne, rigatoni, or rotini.
- Cook noodles "al dente" to prevent mushiness.
- Quarter large pepperoni slices for better integration.
- Assemble ahead, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Adjust baking time for cold pasta.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.
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