This oven-baked 5-ingredient Amish-style pizza casserole is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels almost too easy for how cozy and satisfying it is. Inspired by the practical, pantry-friendly casseroles you’ll find in many Amish and Midwestern church cookbooks, it leans on store-bought pizza sauce and a handful of familiar ingredients. The best part is the technique: you pour the sauce and three simple toppings right over uncooked rotini pasta in a casserole dish, then let the oven do the work. It’s crowd-pleasing, kid-friendly, and the sort of dish you’ll find yourself making on repeat when you want big flavor with minimal effort.
Serve this pizza casserole straight from the oven with a simple green salad—think romaine or mixed greens tossed with a bright vinaigrette—to balance the richness. Garlic bread or warm breadsticks are a natural partner, perfect for scooping up any saucy bits from the pan. If you’d like something a little heartier on the side, roasted broccoli or green beans work well and can roast on a second rack while the casserole bakes. A light red wine, such as a Chianti or an easy-drinking Midwestern table red, or sparkling water with lemon rounds out the meal.
5-Ingredient Amish Pizza CasseroleServings: 6
Ingredients
12 ounces uncooked rotini pasta (about 4 cups dry)
3 cups store-bought pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup sliced pepperoni (about 4 ounces)
1 cup whole milk (or 2% milk)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray or a thin film of oil to prevent sticking.
Spread the uncooked rotini pasta evenly in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish, making sure it’s in a fairly even layer so it cooks uniformly.
In a large bowl or mixing pitcher, combine the pizza sauce and milk. Stir well until the mixture is smooth and evenly blended; this thins the sauce just enough to cook the dry pasta in the oven.
Pour the pizza sauce and milk mixture evenly over the uncooked rotini pasta in the casserole dish, making sure all the pasta is moistened. Use the back of a spoon to gently nudge any exposed pasta under the liquid if needed.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauced pasta, covering as much surface area as you can for a good cheesy top.
Scatter the sliced pepperoni evenly over the cheese layer, arranging the slices so each scoop of casserole will get some pepperoni.
Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil, tenting it slightly so the foil doesn’t stick to the cheese. This helps trap steam so the pasta cooks through.
Bake the covered casserole on the center rack for 35 to 40 minutes, until the pasta is just tender when you poke a piece with a fork and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
Carefully remove the foil and return the casserole to the oven. Bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, lightly browned in spots, and the pepperoni edges are slightly crisp.
Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This brief rest allows the sauce to thicken slightly and makes it easier to scoop neat portions.
Variations & Tips
For a meatier version, stir 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cooked and crumbled Italian sausage into the uncooked rotini before adding the sauce mixture, keeping the total ingredient list to five by swapping it in for the pepperoni. If you prefer a vegetarian take, skip the pepperoni and use sliced black olives or diced bell peppers in its place; they’ll soften nicely as the casserole bakes. You can nudge the flavor toward classic Midwestern “supreme” pizza by adding a teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning or a pinch of garlic powder to the pizza sauce and milk mixture before pouring it over the pasta. For a slightly creamier texture, replace half of the milk with heavy cream or evaporated milk. If you like more browned cheese, move the casserole under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes at the very end—just watch it closely so it doesn’t burn. Leftovers reheat well in the oven, covered with foil and splashed with a spoonful of extra pizza sauce or water to keep the pasta from drying out.
