Two comfort foods join forces in this family favorite recipe for Pepperoni Pizza Pasta.
I am (more than) slightly embarrassed to admit where I got the inspiration for this easy, cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Pasta. But if you follow along on Instagram[1], you know I have a strong affinity for reality television. “What type of reality television?” you ask.
The good stuff.
Ahem, Teen Mom fans, where you at?
Well we have MTV’s Teen Mom to thank for introducing me to the idea of pizza pasta. As simple as the concept may seem, why had this culinary creation never crossed my mind?
It’s a pepperoni-stuffed spin on my Baked Rigatoni[2], and it’s loaded with all of my favorite pizza[3] toppings, including green peppers and Italian sausage, so this is not for the faint of heart (or meat).
But the real beauty here is that exactly like a pizza, this pasta can be customized to your preferences with every meat and veggie imaginable. If you’d put it on a pizza, you can put it in pizza pasta!
Craving more? Subscribe to Just a Taste[4] to get new recipes, meal plans and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And stay in touch on Facebook[5], Twitter[6], Pinterest[7] and Instagram[8] for all of the latest updates.
Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
- 12 ounces uncooked medium shell pasta
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- 3/4 pound Italian sausage (sweet or spicy)
- 3 cups homemade or store-bought tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup sliced pepperoni, divided
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shell pasta and cook it until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Add the olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed stock pot set over medium-low heat. Once the oil is warm, add the diced onions, diced green peppers, and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions are translucent. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking apart the sausage with a spatula, until the sausage is browned and cooked throughout.
Reduce the heat to low and add the tomato sauce then add the cooked pasta to the pot, along with 1/2 cup of the sliced pepperoni and stir to combine.
Transfer half of the pasta to a 9×13-inch baking dish, top it with half of the shredded mozzarella cheese, then repeat another layer of the pasta, the remaining cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup of pepperoni.
Bake the pasta for about about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove the baked pasta from the oven and serve.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition Facts
Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 697 Calories from Fat 360
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 40g 62%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Sodium 1757mg 73%
Potassium 840mg 24%
Total Carbohydrates 52g 17%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars 8g
Protein 30g 60%
Vitamin A 15.9%
Vitamin C 33%
Calcium 19.2%
Iron 18.7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
References
- ^ Instagram (www.instagram.com)
- ^ Baked Rigatoni (www.justataste.com)
- ^ pizza (www.justataste.com)
- ^ Subscribe to Just a Taste (www.justataste.com)
- ^ Just a Taste Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Just a Taste Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ Just a Taste Pinterest (www.pinterest.com)
- ^ Just a Taste Instagram (instagram.com)
- ^ Print (www.justataste.com)
- ^ × (www.justataste.com)
English
Español