Pizza Pasta is chock full of all your favorite supreme pizza toppings, spread over a bed of pasta and blanketed with melty, gooey cheese. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner to satisfy even your pickiest eaters!
My sincere apologies, friends. I have not posted since the end of December! That’s inexcusable! But I actually do have a pretty good excuse. I’ve been dealing with some personal issues that have taken up a lot of my time. BUT I’m happy to announce we’ll be welcoming a little boy to our family in July! AND I’m in my second trimester, so life is good!
When I’m pregnant, I don’t usually crave something specific. I just want food. Like, all the time. And pasta is one of my go-tos because noodles. And cheese. ‘Nuff said. So speaking of pasta, I want to introduce you to my new favorite weeknight dinner: Pizza Pasta. I found the original recipe on the Better Homes and Gardens website here and have adjusted it to my liking.
Lemmie just give you the lowdown on what makes this an absolute weeknight dinner winner. First, it is chock full of all the goodies you could ask for on a supreme pizza–we’re talking sausage, bell pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, and pepperoni. You get the idea. The best part is this is all lovingly spread atop a bed of pasta. Who could ask for more? So put down that phone and save some money. No need to order a pizza. Just whip this Pizza Pasta up and your family will devour it. Yep, even your picky littles.
- 2 cups uncooked penne pasta (or small noodle of your choice)
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz ground Italian sausage
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bell pepper, cut into 2-inch strips
- 4 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 14.5-oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup mini pepperoni
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a square baking dish and set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain again.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, Parmesan cheese, and pasta. Spread pasta mixture evenly in the square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown sausage; drain. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper.
- Spoon sausage mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and mini pepperonis. Bake 10-20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Enjoy!
