This one pot Pizza Casserole is the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight. Made with deep flavors but simple ingredients, this easy pasta recipe is sure to be a hit with even your picky eaters.
Last year I asked a group of friends what makes a recipe easy. One of the things they told me was how much they love one pot recipes. I get it completely. A recipe that comes together in one pan makes for a simpler recipe and minimal clean up.
This One Pot Pizza Casserole is it! It has all the flavors you love of pizza in a cheesy skillet with pasta. It is easy to make, and absolutely delicious. Besides, it is easy to customize with things your family loves.
Thank you so much, Lisa, for another amazing, quick and easy dinner!! I made this tonight, for the second time, and it’s so delicious, and a huge hit!
How to Make a Pizza Casserole
The key to making this recipe work is having a large enough skillet and using enough liquid to cook your pasta. With those two things down you have an easy stovetop recipe!
This is just a brief overview of the recipe, please make sure to read the full ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Brown the meat and sauté the vegetables. Combine the Italian sausage with the green pepper and garlic in the skillet until the vegetables are soft. There is no need to fully cook the meat here, it will continue cooking as we go.
- Add in seasonings and liquids. Pour in the tomatoes, stock and spices. Make sure to scrape up any browned bits from cooking the meat.
- Add the pasta. Now bring it all to a boil. Then reduce it to a simmer. You want to see bubbles the size of grapes here and there.
- Finish it off. We end this dish by stirring in some cheese, topping it with more, and adding some pepperoni and olives before popping it in the oven for a few minutes.
Making One Pot Recipes Work
As mentioned above, the balance of liquid to pasta is what makes this recipe work. It makes for an easy dish that doesn’t require cooking the pasta separately. That said, if you use more pasta or less liquid, it won’t all be able to cook in the skillet together.
Another key component of this recipe is starting it on the stove and then finishing it off in the oven. It makes it a quick meal. But by making it in an oven proof skillet, we also save on clean up time! Below you will see one of my favorite brands of oven proof skillet. The one you see pictured here is from IKEA. I also love it, but it isn’t as easy to purchase online.
Oven Proof Skillet
Type of Pasta to Use
I am calling for rotini in this recipe, those spiral shaped noodles. You could definitely use something else here, but keep in mind that it might alter the cooking time and you may need to add more liquid. If you do use a different type of noodle, I suggest picking the noodle that is closest in shape to these that your kids like best. I would not suggest using spaghetti, as it would be difficult for this cooking method.
Shredding Cheese for Pizza Casserole
You know this story by now! This recipe call for shredded cheese. And you can see by that glorious pulled cheese photo above how key it is to this recipe. While buying cheese that is pre-shredded is a great time saver, I argue that it isn’t one that is worth it. In order to keep the shreds separated before they make it to your kitchen, that cheese is coated in preservatives. Those same preservatives make it harder for it to melt. Taking the time to shred your own cheese is definitely worth it.
Substitutions and Variations
While you need to keep the amount of pasta and liquids the same, there are a few changes you can make without affecting things.
- Mix up the vegetables. You could leave out the green pepper or swap it for a red bell pepper. You could also add an onion in here.
- Make it vegetarian. Instead of using pork sausage, heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the green pepper and garlic with onions, some carrots, zucchini, and a second pepper. The proceed to step 3.
- Switch up the meat. If you can’t find Italian sausage, you could substitute with ground beef or ground turkey and it would be fine. If you are using ground beef, you may need to drain off a little grease at the end of step 2.
- Leave off the final toppings.The topping with pepperoni and olives at the end is totally optional. I think it adds something nice, but it is not necessary. If your family loves pepperoni, you could also chop some and stir it in before topping with cheese in step 5.
Other Great 30 Minute Meals
If your family can’t get enough of quick pasta dinners, I have you covered!
If you make this pizza casserole recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you.
One Pot Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage casings removed (453.6 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 29 ounces crushed tomatoes (794 grams)
- 2 cups chicken broth (473.18 ml)
- 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces rotini (226.8 grams)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella (226 grams)
- pepperoni for topping
- sliced olives for topping
- shredded parmesan for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat the oil in a large oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up as you cook. When it is completely broken up but before it has begun to brown, add the green pepper and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the peppers have begun to soften, about 5 to 7 mintues.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound Italian sausage, 2 cloves garlic, 1 green pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, basil, and oregano, stirring to combine.29 ounces crushed tomatoes, 2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 tablespoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- Stir in rotini. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes (or until the rotini just has a small bite to it), stirring occasionally. You should see consistent small bubbles.8 ounces rotini
- Stir in 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Top with the rest of the cheese, the pepperoni, and the olives. Put it in the preheated oven and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.2 cups shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, sliced olives
Michelle says
I would like to make this lower carb and replace the pasta with cauliflower, do you think I should cut back on the chicken broth?
This sounds amazing!
What a great idea! I don’t have a ton of experience with swapping cauliflower for pasta, but yes – you will need less liquid. Cauliflower gives out moisture when cooked, and pasta needs moisture to cooked, so you will definitely need less liquid.
Joanne says
Could I cut this recipe in half for 2 people? Would that work or does it freeze well if I make the whole recipe.
Yes, I think it would work just fine cut in half. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one. I just think you wouldn’t enjoy it as much as if you made it fresh.
donna says
Do you have the Nutrition Information for this dish?
Apologies, Donna! It is in there now.
ColleenB.~Tx. says
Great Recipe. Thank You
In place of the chicken broth, I used the V-8 Veggie juice; plus I also added 1 can of mild Ro-Tel to the mixture.
No Italian Sausage on hand so I used pork sausage; Owens, Jimmy Dean or store bought – your choice.
Tina says
Thank you so much, Lisa, for another amazing, quick and easy dinner!! I made this tonight, for the second time, and it’s so delicious, and a huge hit!! The first time I made it with ground beef, this time I used hot Italian sausage, and both times I used the entire box of rotini. Both were SO good!! And, it’s all in one pot!!!!!!!!
I’m so glad you like it!
napunani says
Have you made this in an electric skillet?
I’m sorry, I haven’t.
Sue Breiding says
Hi Lisa! I love every recipe of yours I have made and I keep a notebook full. My question is the pizza casserole recipe. I find that using uncooked pasta sometimes makes the dish dry. Did you cook the rotini first or maybe Al dente? I am making this for gang Sunday. Just checking. Thank you so much!
Hi Sue! So, the point of this dish is to be able to make everything in one pot. It’s something that I don’t always love to do for the exact reason you mention, but I also know that it is a FANTASTIC trick for busy parents of little kids. All of that said, I really love this recipe. We are using both crushed tomatoes and chicken stock to ensure that there is enough cooking liquid for the pasta. The key is to not turn the heat too high so that the liquid boils off before being absorbed by the pasta.
Amy says
I am wondering about making this in a crockpot. My husband needs a dish to take to work for a potluck. Any suggestions? Cook in casserole and transfer to a crockpot, or put everything in before going to bed and letting it cook at night?
This isn’t one I would crockpot to be honest. Noodles in crockpots are tricky even when the recipe has been tested that way a million times. This would be an amazing and super easy recipe to bring to a potluck. Just grill them up before and let them simmer in the crockpot and bring a bunch of buns, ketchup and mustard: Beer Brats.
Cheryl says
Hi. Could I substitute pizza sauce for the crushed tomatoes? If so, would I just substitute 1:1 ratio?
Honestly, I would want to test it first. Recipes like this that involve liquid cooking the noodles can be really tricky. You have to use just the right amount of liquid at the right temperature.
Constance says
I enjoy reading your emails. I am wondering what the round orange/red discs are in the photos of the pizza casserole?.
Pepperoni!