Pizza Pasta Bake

Here's a quick and easy one for you. Pizza mixed with pasta = everyone will love it! I'd never thought of adding pepperoni to pasta before but the first time I tried it I was sold. The flavor is a really great mix. The fun part of this dish is that you can add whatever favorite pizza toppings your family likes -- spinach, sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, Canadian bacon, really anything would work. When I make this for dinner I often make two casseroles at a time, throw one in the freezer and save myself tons of time sometime later in the month. The whole wheat pasta and mostly-vegetables ingredient list also makes this a lot healthier than ordering a pizza!

~Wendy

Pizza Pasta Bake

Recipe Type: Dinner

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 6

A healthy, cheesy family dinner that works well for potlucks and make-ahead freezer meals!

Ingredients

• 1 box whole wheat rigatoni pasta


• 1 c. sliced mushrooms


• 1 small onion, chopped


• 1 small green pepper, chopped


• 1 jar spaghetti sauce, any flavor


• 1 c. chunky mild salsa


• 1 c. pepperoni, chopped


• 2 turkey Italian sausages, casings removed


• 3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese


• 1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Cook pasta according to package directions.


3. Meanwhile in a dutch oven or big pot cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Before the sausage is fully cooked through (about 1/2 way done), add mushrooms, onion, and green pepper and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and the vegetables have softened, drain any remaining grease.


4. Drain pasta, add to the meat mixture.


5. Stir in the pasta sauce, salsa and pepperoni.


6. Grease a 13 x 9 in. baking dish.


7. Divide the pasta mixture in two and put 1/2 at the bottom of the greased pan. Cover with 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Top with the remaining pasta mixture and then the remaining cheeses.


8. Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and return to oven and bake 10 more minutes until cheese is melted/browned.

Notes

Should you want to freeze this dish for another time, just cover with foil and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you're ready to bake it, remove from the freezer and put directly in the hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and back for another 10 minutes until the top cheese is golden brown.

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