Easy Baked Pizza Pasta Casserole (Family Favorite Make-Ahead Dinner)
This Easy Baked Pizza Pasta Casserole delivers all the comforting flavors of both pizza and pasta in one gooey, cheesy, family-friendly dish. Loaded with Italian sausage, rich sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and pepperoni, it’s the ultimate make-ahead dinner.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Large pot
- 9x13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini or penne pasta
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage (sweet or hot)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 oz pizza sauce or marinara
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup sliced pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet until browned. Drain grease, add onion, and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente (2 minutes less than instructed). Drain and set aside.
- Stir pizza sauce, oregano, and red pepper flakes into the sausage mixture. Simmer briefly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, and Parmesan until smooth.
- Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in a greased 9×13 dish. Toss the pasta with remaining meat sauce. Layer: ½ pasta, all ricotta mixture (dolloped), remaining pasta, 1 cup mozzarella.
- Arrange pepperoni on top and sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Cover and chill if making ahead, or bake immediately.
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Cook pasta al dente to avoid mushiness and dollop the ricotta instead of mixing it for creamy layers.