37 Amazing pizza pasta Bake Ideas

Oh, that deep-down Saturday night craving hits you right in the middle of a busy Tuesday, doesn’t it? We all need those meals that taste like pure comfort, but who has hours to stand over the stove? That’s why I am absolutely obsessed with this Easy Baked Pizza Pasta Casserole. It takes everything you adore about a thick, cheesy slice of pizza—that rich sauce, the spicy pepperoni, the gooey blanket of mozzarella—and stuffs it all into one satisfying, family-friendly bake. Trust me, whipping up this ultimate pizza pasta invention is my secret weapon when the weeknight dinner question feels overwhelming. If you’re looking for reliable fixes for your rotation, you should definitely check out my collection of weeknight dinners!

Why This Easy Pizza Pasta Recipe Is Your New Weeknight Family Dinner Hero

Look, I get it. You want that heartwarming, satisfying taste of comfort food, but you don’t have time for complicated steps. That’s exactly why this pizza pasta bake slides right into the top spot of my favorite go-to meals. It pulls together in about 50 minutes total, which is faster than most delivery apps can even estimate!

This casserole is built for families. It’s packed with all the familiar flavors they already love, but in this fun, shovel-it-out-of-a-pan format. It’s genuinely one of those Comfort Food Pasta Dishes that works whether you are feeding a couple of picky eaters or hosting a few friends for a casual night in. Need inspiration for other quick meals? You might love my recipe for Skillet Lasagna next!

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Quick Casserole Recipes for Busy Evenings

When I say this is a Quick Casserole Recipe, I mean it! Prep time is just 15 minutes, and the total time is under an hour. That means you can have a truly impressive, homemade Italian-American meal on the table quicker than you can decide on takeout menus. It’s hearty, it’s hands-off once it hits the oven, and cleanup? Way easier than making actual pizza!

The Ultimate Cheesy Pasta Casserole Experience

The magic happens under that bubbling cheese topping! We are loading this pizza pasta bake up with savory sausage, spicy pepperoni, and two kinds of cheese—mozzarella *and* Parmesan. When you pull it out of the oven, the sauce is hot, the edges are crispy, and the cheese is just impossibly gooey. It’s just deeply satisfying and exactly what you need on a chilly evening.

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Gathering Ingredients for Your Pizza Pasta Bake

Alright, let’s talk gear. This recipe for our pizza pasta bake is fantastic because it mostly relies on pantry stars and stuff you can grab easily at the grocery store. No exotic ingredients needed here, just the essentials to get that rich pizza flavor locked into the pasta.

• 1 pound rotini or penne pasta (Penne is great, but rotini really catches all that cheesy sauce!)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (This is key for that authentic flavor!)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (24 ounce) jar pizza or marinara sauce (Use your favorite one!)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup sliced pepperoni
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (We use this mix in stages!)
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for this Pizza Flavored Pasta Bake

A couple of quick notes from my kitchen before you shop! When you’re grabbing your meat, if you don’t have Italian sausage, ground beef or ground turkey works just fine. Just make sure you drain off all that excess grease when browning it—we want flavor, not a layer of oil floating on top!

For the sauce, if you can only find marinara, it’s totally fine; just make sure you’re using good quality stuff since it makes up the bulk of the flavor. You can even mix in a tiny dash of garlic powder or some red pepper flakes if you want to jazz up the spice level a bit. And for the cheese? I always shred my own mozzarella if I have a minute. Pre-shredded bags have anti-caking agents that sometimes keep them from melting quite as smoothly as I like in a Cheesy Pasta Casserole. If you are looking for other simple sauce bases, I have a fantastic recipe for easy homemade BBQ sauce you might like to try in other dishes here.

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Perfect Pizza Pasta Casserole

Now for the satisfying part—putting it all together! The whole process of making this pizza pasta feels like building something cozy, brick by brick. Just follow these steps carefully, and you’ll have that bubbly casserole ready in no time. Don’t rush the first few steps; they set the stage for that amazing final texture.

Preparing the Base: Pasta and Sausage Mixture for your Pizza Pasta

First things first, get that oven cranked up to 375 degrees F and lightly grease up that 9×13 dish. While the oven warms, cook your rotini or penne until it’s just barely done—we call that *al dente*. You don’t want mush! Drain that pasta well. Meanwhile, grab a big skillet. Heat the olive oil, toss in your Italian sausage, and really break it up with your spoon until it’s nicely browned. This is crucial: drain off every bit of excess grease when it’s done. Next, toss in the onion until it softens up, which takes about five minutes, and then add the garlic for just one minute until you can really smell it. That aroma is everything!

Baking and Finishing the Cheesy Pasta Casserole

Once your aromatics are ready, pull that skillet off the heat. Now, add your sauce, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and that splash of water. Stir it all up really well. This is where the magic happens: stir in your cooked pasta and all that pepperoni until everything is nicely coated in that rich sauce. Pour this flavorful pizza pasta mixture into your prepared dish.

Time for the first layer of cheese! Sprinkle one cup of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake this beauty for 15 to 20 minutes. You are looking for the sauce to bubble up happily around the edges and the cheese to look melted and just starting to get a little golden. When it comes out, sprinkle that last half cup of mozzarella right on top. Seriously, don’t skip this step! Let the whole casserole rest for five minutes before slicing into it. This waiting time lets the cheese set up just a little. If you want more inspiration for quick bakes, check out my tips on homemade cheese crackers for pairing or topping!

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Tips for Success with Your Make Ahead Pasta Bake Pizza Pasta

This is where this pizza pasta really shines for a busy life! As much as I love making this fresh, sometimes you just need dinner ready to go. The great news is this recipe is fantastic as a Make Ahead Pasta Bake.

If you are preparing it ahead of time, go right through step 6—the assembly stage—then cover it tightly and stick it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you pull it out to bake, just add about 10 extra minutes to the baking time because it’s starting out cold. That little bit of extra time gets that sauce bubbling perfectly.

If you want to freeze it, you have two options! You can freeze it assembled but unbaked, or you can bake it completely and freeze the leftovers. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before baking from cold, or bake from frozen with slightly longer cooking times. It’s flexible comfort food, which I love! For other great freezer or batch recipes, take a peek at my frozen daiquiri recipe—great for prepping ahead, even if it’s not dinner!

Serving Suggestions for This Comforting Italian American Food

Because this pizza pasta bake is so rich, hearty, and seriously cheesy, it really doesn’t need much company on the plate. You’ve already got your protein, pasta, and veggies hiding in there, so keep the sides light and bright! That’s how we balance out all that wonderful comfort factor.

If you’re serving this up for a standard family meal, grabbing a big, crisp green salad is my number one recommendation. Something with a light, tangy vinaigrette cuts right through the richness of the sausage and cheese perfectly. It just feels like the right pairing, you know?

And oh my goodness, is this ever my go-to Game Day Pasta Dish! When the touchdowns are flying, everyone wants something they can eat easily while watching the screen. I usually serve it right out of the casserole dish with little tongs, and everyone digs in. Sometimes if I’m feeling extra folksy, I’ll make simple garlic bread, but honestly, with all that sauce in this casserole, the bread isn’t strictly necessary!

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If you want a simple, crisp side that seriously elevates any Italian-American meal, you absolutely have to try my Caesar dressing recipe. It’s creamy, tangy, and just so much better than store-bought. You can find the recipe for my creamy Caesar Salad right here on the blog!

Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Pizza Pasta

If you’ve done your duty as a good home cook and made a huge, glorious pan of this pizza pasta bake, congratulations! You now have the best leftovers imaginable. Seriously, sometimes I think this casserole tastes even better the next day when all those oregano and basil flavors have had time to really sink into the noodles.

Storage is super simple. Once the casserole has cooled down a bit—don’t put screaming hot food straight into the fridge, it messes with the cooling cycle—cover that dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil. You can easily keep leftovers in the refrigerator for about three to four days. It holds up really well!

Now, for reheating! You have two paths here, depending on how much you’re eating and how much time you’ve got. For the best texture, especially if you loved that baked crust, I highly recommend using the oven. Pop a few servings onto an oven-safe plate, cover it loosely with foil—this stops the top cheese from burning before the middle is hot—and warm it up at 350 degrees F until steamy all the way through. This usually takes about 15 minutes.

If you’re just grabbing a single slice for a quick lunch, the microwave is your friend. Just watch it closely so you don’t end up with rubbery cheese! Pop it on a plate and microwave in 30-second bursts until it’s piping hot.

If you’re looking for more ways to utilize those wonderful leftovers, I have tons of ideas! You wouldn’t believe what you can do with leftover mashed potatoes; check out my recipe for Mashed Potato Cakes—same principle: remake something simple into something brand new and delicious!

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Easy Pizza Pasta Recipe

I always get a ton of great questions when recipes like this pizza pasta land on the blog—it means you guys are getting ready to cook, and that makes me so happy! Here are a few things people often ask about making this Cheesy Pasta Casserole.

Can I make this pizza pasta without meat?

Absolutely! This is one of those dishes that’s super adaptable. If you want to make this a vegetarian meal, just skip the Italian sausage entirely. You can use that tablespoon of olive oil to sauté extra veggies instead—think mushrooms, bell peppers, or spinach. Make sure you cook them down first so they don’t release too much water into your sauce. You’ll still get that amazing base flavor from the herbs and cheese!

What is the best pasta shape for this Cheesy Pasta Casserole?

For a baked dish like this, you really want a pasta shape that acts like a little cup or scoop for all that glorious sauce and melted cheese. That’s why I love using either rotini or penne, which are listed in the main ingredients. They hold everything beautifully! Avoid long, delicate pastas like angel hair—they will just turn to mush in the oven. We want texture!

How do I ensure my pizza pasta bake is not dry?

That would be a culinary tragedy, and we certainly don’t want that! The main defense against dryness is making sure you get that sauce mixture properly hydrated back in Step 5 of the recipe. You whisk in that half cup of water to the sauce and sausage base before the pasta goes in. This extra liquid ensures the pasta can absorb moisture while it simmers and bakes, keeping everything tender. Also, don’t overbake it! Once the cheese is bubbly and golden, pull it out, let it rest, and resist the urge to poke it with a fork for five minutes!

If you have other baking questions or need ideas for a different kind of comfort food, maybe something sweeter? Feel free to browse the rest of the site; you might stumble upon something fun like my No-Bake Dirt Cake!

Nutritional Estimates for This Pizza Flavored Pasta Bake

Okay, friends, because this is pure, unadulterated comfort food, this isn’t exactly a super light salad! But I really think knowing what you’re eating helps you enjoy it even more, right? These numbers are just estimates, of course, as they depend heavily on the exact brands of sausage or sauce you use, but this gives you a good blueprint when planning your day.

When you look at the serving size, remember that a big scoop of this pizza pasta casserole can easily be more than one serving, so keep that calculator handy if you need to!

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 580
• Fat: 30g (That’s where all that cheesy flavor comes from!)
• Saturated Fat: 13g
• Carbohydrates: 55g
• Protein: 28g
• Sugar: 10g
• Sodium: 1150mg (It’s definitely salty, leaning into that pizza flavor profile!)

If you are looking for ways to bump up the vegetable content alongside rich meals like this, you might want to try swapping some of the carbs for lower-carb veggies. My recipe for Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Rice is amazing plain, but you could even fold some into the sauce mixture next time for an extra veggie boost!

Share Your Favorite Pizza Pasta Creations

That’s it, my friends! You have everything you need now to rock this Easy Baked Pizza Pasta Casserole and bring some serious comfort food magic to your very own table. I truly, truly hope this recipe brings as much joy and happy chatter to your house as it does to mine.

But here’s the thing—cooking is a conversation, right? I absolutely love hearing how you tweak things! Did you add mushrooms? Did you swap the sausage for ground turkey? Did you discover an even better way to reheat the leftovers? Please, don’t keep those secrets to yourself!

Take a minute to leave a rating and a quick comment below the recipe card. It helps other home cooks see that this is a reliable meal, and honestly, reading your feedback makes my day!

And hey, if you snapped a picture of your bubbly, cheesy masterpiece—and I know you did!—tag me on social media! Seeing your finished pizza pasta dishes makes me feel like we are all cooking together in one giant, happy kitchen. Thank you so much for cooking from my kitchen to yours. If you want to learn a little more about my philosophy and why I believe in simple, joyful food, you can always read more on my About Page!

Easy Baked Pizza Pasta Casserole

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Make this ultimate pizza pasta bake soon for a simple, cheesy weeknight dinner everyone loves. It combines classic pizza flavors into one satisfying, comforting casserole.

• Author: Carla Davis
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 35 min
• Total Time: 50 min
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Italian American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound rotini or penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (24 ounce) jar pizza or marinara sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup sliced pepperoni
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
3. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Drain off any excess grease.
4. Add the chopped onion to the skillet with the sausage and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
5. Stir in the pizza sauce, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and water. Bring the sauce mixture to a simmer.
6. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the cooked pasta and the sliced pepperoni. Mix well to coat everything in the sauce.
7. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and all of the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.
9. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

• You can prepare this casserole ahead of time. Assemble everything through step 6, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to the covered baking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
• For a make ahead pasta bake option, you can freeze the assembled, unbaked casserole. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
• Feel free to swap the Italian sausage for ground beef or ground turkey for a different flavor profile.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 580
• Sugar: 10
• Sodium: 1150
• Fat: 30
• Saturated Fat: 13
• Unsaturated Fat: 17
• Trans Fat: 1
• Carbohydrates: 55
• Fiber: 4
• Protein: 28
• Cholesterol: 75