This Easy Pizza Pasta Bake is the ultimate weeknight dish! Quick, customizable and crazy delicious, this recipe is a total crowd pleaser!
If "pizza" or "pasta" is in the name, we are ALWAYS game and this Easy Pizza Pasta Bake has got them both! It combines the classic pizza flavors you love with curly rotini pasta and is baked off until gooey cheesy, golden and bubbly. It not only is a pinch to make, it also freezes well for future meals!
Perhaps our favorite thing about this recipe is that it comes together with the help of
Recipe Notes
Pick Your Pasta. Rotini is our favorite pasta for this dish, but fusilli, penne, casarecce, or any similar sized pasta will do!
Prep Ahead. Stephen and I are big proponents of working smarter, not harder, when it comes to veggie prep. We slice and freeze veggies like bell peppers ahead of time which makes meals like this a pinch. No chopping required, simply grab, add, and bake! One question we inevitably get asked is "but don't peppers get mushy after being frozen?" and the answer is NO! Peppers are one of our favorite veggies to freeze because they retain the most fresh texture compared to other veggies. We really could talk about our pepper love for days!
Additional Add-Ins. We've picked some of our favorite "toppings" but the fun doesn't have to stop there! Crispy bacon, mushrooms, ground sausage, and caramelized onions all make incredible additions. Got little ones at home? Everyone can pick their favorites. Split pasta into smaller ramekins and each family member can be in charge of their own personal pizza bake.
Cooking for Crowds. This dish can EASILY be doubled or tripled for larger groups and freezes well. We make two batches at a time - one to enjoy right away and one to freeze for a future meal!
Easy Pizza Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 4 cups dry rotini pasta
- 4 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 3 oz uncured pepperoni
- 2 bell peppers, any color sliced into thin strips
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup shredded parmesan or asiago cheese
- ¾ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon each, dried garlic and onion powders
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cook pasta until al dente. Drain well and combine with marinara sauce, sliced peppers, olives, pepperoni, dry seasonings, and ¾ of the cheese. Stir together until well mixed.
- Pour pasta into a 9x13 baking dish and garnish with remaining cheese and additional pepperoni slices. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
Nutrition
Looking for more family friendly meals? You'll love our Sheet Pan Pineapple Chicken and Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Chow Mein!
when baking from frozen, what are the baking instructions?
Hi Janley! If baking right from the freezer we recommend heating at 350 for 45-60 minutes (maybe a bit more if using a very deep dish). If your casserole is partially defrosted (or was popped in the fridge overnight) it may take about 25-30 minutes. We hope that helps!
Easily earned a spot on our “go-to” list. Full of flavor, and easy to customize to your own liking. We have a very picky nine year old, and he cleared his plate! Thanks for this recipe!
Hi Adam, this made our day, thank you! We're so glad it was a hit with the whole family!
This is really a super creative recipe! I like my pasta and Kevin likes his pizza . But we need something a bit more exciting for dinner. With this dish, we will both be happy!
Thank you so much! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
So easy and really tasty!!
Oh thank you Jessi! So glad you enjoyed it!!!
Made this after trying it at a friend’s house. It is easy peasy to pull together and the family loves it!
Amazing! Thanks to your friend and big thanks to you for making it for your fam!
Pizza Bake???? OMG!!!!
You know it!!! Hope you enjoy!