One of the great things about pizza is that you can make it any way you want it. Are you a pepperoni lover? Load it up! Love your veggies such as mushrooms and green peppers? They can go on, too. Do you have acquired tastes, such as olives and anchovies? Use them to top it all off! There's really no limits when making pizza, and you won't find them when making the recipe that follows, either.
In this dish, all the best toppings come together to make a casserole that has all the great flavors of pizza. This recipe uses sausage, green peppers, and mushrooms, all swimming in a sea of pizza sauce. Combine all this with a little bit of pasta, and top it off with lots of gooey cheese and sliced pepperoni. Make it yours by adding what you like best, and it might just become your new favorite way to enjoy pizza!
Pizza Casserole with Sausage
6
10 minutes
20 minutes
30 minutes
3 cups uncooked short pasta such as penne or rigatoni
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup green peppers, small dice
4 cups pizza sauce
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pepperoni, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish.
Cook pasta according to the package directions and drain.
While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium heat.
When oil is hot, add sausage, breaking it up as you do. Cook for about 5 minutes, until all sausage is nearly browned.
Add mushrooms and green peppers to the frying pan and stir. Cook for about 5 more minutes.
When pasta and sausage mixture are finished cooking, place them in a large bowl.
Add pizza sauce and Parmesan cheese to the bowl and stir everything together. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the casserole.
Lay pepperoni on top of the mozzarella cheese.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, until hot throughout and the cheese on top is bubbling and starting to brown.