If you love pizza and pasta then you are gonna want to try this dish! This pizza pasta comes together in one pot and seriously taste like you’re biting into a fresh slice of pizza. With flavours from the hot Italian sausage, oregano, fennel, chilli flakes, and pepperoni of course this dish comes together in 45 minutes and the whole family will love it! Serve it with garlic bread and lots of extra cheese on top!
Sausage, Pepperoni & Toppings
Hot Italian sausage is what I used for this pasta. I used 2 fresh hot Italian sausage and removed the meat from the casing and then I browned the sausage. If you rather not use hot Italian sausage you can substitute for your favourite fresh sausage, just remove it from the casing and cook until brown. Alternatively, instead of adding sausage you could just go ahead and add extra pepperoni.
I used 2oz of pepperoni on top of the pasta before I baked it. It gave it that real pizza look. You can add more or less pepperoni depending on your taste.
Since this is a pizza pasta feel free to add whatever toppings speak to you. you could try making a deluxe pizza and topping it with green peppers, onions and bacon. Get creative and add whatever toppings you have on hand or that you prefer!
Spice Level
This pasta does have a kick, I’m not gonna lie. The pasta contains 2 tablespoons of red dried chilli flakes. If you rather not have the pasta spicy then just skip this step altogether. If you only want a small amount of heat only add 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon to taste.
Baking Dish
If you have a dutch oven, use that! A dutch oven works perfectly for this recipe since you can cook the pasta and bake it in the oven in the same pot.
For those who do not have a dutch oven, no problem, just cook you pasta in a regular old pot then transfer the pasta to a baking dish. From there, you can top the pasta with your cheese, pepperoni and bake.
Cheese of Choice
Mozzarella is the obvious choice here for this pizza pasta. Mozzarella has a low moisture which makes it melt easily and give it the stretchy quality that we know and love about this cheese.
I also added in asiago cheese and Parmesan cheese. If you have other cheeses on hand you can always throw that in too. Other delicious cheeses that would work well:
- Cheddar
- Havarti
- Provolone
- Goat Cheese
- Pecorino-Romano
- Gorgonzola
Pasta Shape
Short cut pasta works the best for this pasta dish. I used spiral pasta (cavatappi) to make this pizza pasta. I would recommend choosing a pasta that is smaller such as elbow macaroni, fusili or something about that size. I wouldn’t recommend using large pasta shapes such as fettucine, parpadelle, or any other long pasta shapes. Having a small pasta shape will ensure the cooking process and allow the pasta to cook evenly.
Equipment & Products
Dutch Oven
Pesto Sauce
Rotini Pasta
Ingredients
2 Hot Italian Sausages
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Diced
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Tsp Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, Fennel Seeds, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt, Pepper, Each
1-2 Tbs Red Chilli Flakes
1 1/2 Cups Marinara Sauce
2 Tb Vodka (or Chicken Broth)
1/3 Cup Pesto
1 1/4 Cup Water
1/2 Pound Short Cut Pasta*
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
1/4 Cup Asiago Cheese, Grated
2 oz Pepperoni Slices
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil
Method:
Step 1:
Remove the sausage from the casing and cook until browned. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
Step 2:
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until fragrant then add marinara sauce, pesto, the sausage back in to the pot, pasta, and water. Cook until the pasta is al dente (about 8-10 minutes).
Step 3:
Once the pasta is al dente, stir in the cheese. Transfer the pasta to a baking dish and top with more cheese and pepperoni. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the cheese is nice and bubbly.
Step 4:
Top the pasta wth fresh basil and enjoy! 🙂
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recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 Hot Italian Sausages
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion, Diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 Tsp Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, Fennel Seeds, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt, Pepper, Each
- 1-2 Tbs Red Chilli Flakes
- 1 1/2 Cups Marinara Sauce
- 2 Tb Vodka (or Chicken Broth)
- 1/3 Cup Pesto
- 1 1/4 Cup Water
- 1/2 Pound Short Cut Pasta*
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
- 1/4 Cup Asiago Cheese, Grated
- 2 oz Pepperoni Slices
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Basil
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium pot over medium high heat, remove the casing of the hot Italian sausage and add the meat to the pot. Brown the sausages for about 6-8 minutes while using a fork or wooden spoon to crumble the sausage. Once the sausage crumble is cooked, remove it from the pot and drain the excess fat. Use a paper towel to absorb the excess fat from the bottom of the pot. Set the cooked sausage crumble aside for now.
- In the same pot, add olive oil and allow it to heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
- Once the onions and garlic are done sautéing, to the same pot add marinara sauce, pesto, the sausage back to the pot, spices, pasta, and water. Stir frequently and cook the pasta for about 8-10 minutes over medium heat. You want the pasta to still be al dente and not over cooked since it will finish cooking in the oven.
- Once the pasta is al dente, add all of the cheese expect for 1/2 cup of mozzarella (use to top). Gently stir the cheese into the pasta then transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Top the pasta with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Top the pasta with the 2 oz of pepperoni slices. Place in the oven to bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and lightly browned.
- After 20-25 minuets, remove from the oven and cool for at least 5 minutes then top with fresh basil. Enjoy! 🙂
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Hi There I’m Victoria!
I make easy to follow, simple, and DELCIOUS recipes. Here at Vic Eats you will find many different kinds of recipes whether that be breakfasts, main course yummy desserts or easy snacks!
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