This pizza pasta is a one pot meal made with pepperoni, sausage and plenty of cheese, all mixed with pasta in tomato sauce. An easy dinner that’s family friendly and quick to make!
We love all things pizza in my house, including pizza stuffed chicken, pizza dip and pizza muffins. This pizza pasta is our new favorite meal, the kids request it every week and I’m happy to oblige because it’s so quick to make.
My kids would eat pizza every day if I let them. But there’s only so many times you can have pizza before you get tired of it, am I right? This pizza pasta is a fun twist on a classic with hearty pasta cooked in a savory sauce, plenty of cheese, and our favorite pizza toppings.
How do you make pizza pasta?
The first step is to cook up some sausage and onions in a pan. The pepperoni gets added to the pan, along with marinara sauce, water and rotini pasta. Everything simmers together until the pasta is tender. Finally, add a layer of cheese and some more pepperoni and dinner is served!
Tips for pizza pasta
- You can use turkey or pork Italian sausage. I use mild sausage, but feel free to use hot if you like spice.
- Can’t find mini pepperoni at your store? You can use chopped regular sized pepperoni instead.
- I use rotini pasta, but any short pasta shape will work.
- Choose your favorite brand of marinara sauce for this recipe.
Make sure you use a large pan for this recipe, as the pasta will expand considerably as it cooks and you want to make sure you have enough room for it all! While I keep things simple here with a blend of sausage and pepperoni, you can absolutely add more of your favorite pizza toppings to this recipe. Other great options are
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Olives
- Ham
- Chicken
While the pizza pasta primarily cooks on the stove top, you will need to turn on the oven to melt the cheese at the end. Be sure to use an oven safe pan so that you can easily transfer your pan from stove to oven.
This pizza pasta makes for great leftovers, my kids always ask to take it for lunch the next day. This dish is hearty enough to serve on its own, but if you’re looking for side dish ideas, I’d recommend my garlic knots, parmesan roasted broccoli or candied carrots.
Pizza pasta has it all – it’s quick, doesn’t dirty up a ton of dishes, and has flavors that both kids and adults adore. Make it for dinner tonight and watch the rave reviews come in!
More delicious pasta recipes
- Pizza Stuffed Shells
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Sausage and Pepper Pasta
- Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Pizza Pasta Video
Pizza Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage casings removed
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 3/4 cup mini pepperoni divided use
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
- 2 1/2 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 ounces short pasta such as rotini or penne
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
- Add 1/2 cup of the pepperoni and the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the marinara sauce, water, salt, pepper and pasta to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 12-14 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- While the pasta is simmering, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- After the pasta is finished cooking, sprinkle the cheese over the top and arrange the remaining 1/4 cup of pepperoni on the cheese.
- Bake for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Dagma says
This was really good! I made as directed EXCEPT I did not bake it at the end. I just put the cheese on and covered it with the lid. The cheese melted. It’s summer; it’s hot as you know what. I don’t turn on my oven. In fact, I don’t turn it on in the winter if it is only going to be used for a few minutes. It seems to me to be a waste of energy. Even though I didn’t bake it in the end, it was still really, really good. Next time when granddaughter isn’t with us, I’ll add mushroom, green pepers, and maybe spinach. Thank you.
Carrie Hoffman says
I rarely write reviews, but this was amaaazing! Big hit with the family. We used turkey sausage and pepperoni, and basil instead of parsley. Excited try it again with veggies. Love the versatility!
Taylor says
This recipe is a must have this is so good easy for kids to eat
Gwen says
Cheesy delicious! We loved it!
Kevin Watts says
Incredible dish!! Since I have taken over the cooking for my elderly mother, I have been looking for recipes that will incorporate what she already had on hand and are easy to cook. Since she doesn’t do spicy so well, I skipped the pepperoni and used more ( mild ) sausage. I also used a Mexican cheese blend. It was amazing!! Can’t wait to start trying other toppings with this dish. #keeper
ruth says
My husband doesn’t like meat on pizza so I topped it with mushrooms, olives, peppers and spinach and it was amazing!
Deb says
So good and cheesy! I vary the toppings to keep it different
Lisa Reed says
Love love this recipe, I did use Turkey meat instead and added bell peppers. Tastes amazing.