Cheesy Deluxe Pizza Pasta

Everything you love about a deluxe pizza, with flavors like pepperoni, Italian sausage, green bell pepper, plenty of cheese, and sweet onion, in a kid-friendly one pot pasta recipe, ready in just 30 minutes. What’s not to love?!

This Easy Pizza One Pot Pasta is one of my favorite meals to cook for my family.  We really love one pot meals, and one pot pastas are always a winner… like my Cheesesteak Pasta and Chicken Parmesan Pasta!  This is one of my One Pot Meals I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

PIZZA ONE POT PASTA

Since transforming chicken parmesan and Philly cheesesteak into one pot pasta dishes, I just KNEW a pizza one had to happen.

I am a pizza fanatic!!  And my family, well they love pizza too, but they also love pasta… so why not combine the two?!

Once combined, you have the most mouthwatering pasta, full of pizza flavors, and tons of ooey gooey cheese.  You will LOVE this meal!

HOW TO MAKE ONE POT PASTA

1. Brown sausage in dutch oven and drain grease, then return to pot.
2. Add pepperoni pieces, onion, green pepper and garlic.  Cook a few minutes.
3. Stir in pasta sauce, seasonings and water.  Bring to a boil.
4. Once boiling, add pasta, stir, cover, and simmer 12-15 minutes, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is gone.
5. Stir in 1 cup of cheese, then top with remaining cheese and pepperoni slices.
6. Broil on HIGH for 1-3 minutes.

COOKING TIPS FOR PIZZA PASTA

Making one pot pasta meals isn’t difficult, but there can be a few bumps along the way.  Here are my tips.

• Use the right pasta – long cut pastas like spaghetti or fettuccine might work, but when a recipe has been tested with short cuts, use those for the best results.  I’ve tested this recipe with penne pasta.
• Make sure you use plenty of liquid – don’t skimp on the water… I promise it won’t water the flavor down.  You need that liquid to cook the pasta properly.
• Stir, stir, stir – this isn’t a recipe you can set to simmer and walk away for a while.  You need to give the pasta a stir several times throughout the cooking process, and more so the last 4-5 minutes.  If you don’t stir, the pasta can stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Watch the burner temperature – every stove is different, so while I can put mine on simmer and have it work perfectly, maybe your simmer is too low (or too hot).  You want the liquid to just be simmering… if the temperature is too hot, the pasta will boil too quickly, and there will still be too much liquid in the pot.  If you have the temperature down too low, the pasta won’t be cooked enough.  A good rule of thumb is to check and adjust if needed each time you uncover the pot to stir the pasta.

VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE

• Pizza Sauce – if you’d prefer, you can use an equivalent amount of pizza sauce instead of marinara.
• Extra Cheeses – I love to add some extra shredded Parmesan cheese to the topping.  It adds a little something special.
• Toppings – feel free to add more of your favorite toppings, like mushrooms, olives, bacon/ham, etc.

MAKING ONE POT PASTA AHEAD OF TIME

I don’t recommend making the whole dish ahead of time, as the pasta can soak up too much sauce and get soggy.  However, you can absolutely prep ahead for this recipe!

• Brown Italian sausage, drain, and store in the refrigerator.
• Chop bell pepper, onion and garlic, and store in the refrigerator.
• Slice pepperoni and store in the refrigerator.

STORAGE

Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within a week.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE

• Dutch Oven – great for soups, frying, and these one pot meals!
• Le Creuset Dutch Oven – if you want one like in the photographs, and your budget is open, I have several of these and LOVE them!

OTHER GREAT ONE POT MEALS:

• One Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
• One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
• One Pot Chicken Stroganoff
• One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice

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Cheesy Deluxe Pizza Pasta

4.85 from 19 votes

Author: The Chunky Chef

Prep Time: 7 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 23 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Calories: 441

Servings: 8 servings

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Classic deluxe pizza flavors are mixed with cheesy pasta in this one pot dish that is perfect for a busy weeknight!

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed (or buy pre-ground sausage)
• ▢ 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, divided
• ▢ 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• ▢ 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
• ▢ 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 1/4 tsp dried basil
• ▢ 3 cups water
• ▢ 1 lb dry, uncooked short cut pasta (like penne, rigatoni, etc)
• ▢ 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
• ▢ salt and pepper, to taste
• ▢ fresh minced parsley or basil, for garnish

Instructions

• Cut 1/2 the pepperoni slices into 4 pieces, set aside.
• Heat a dutch oven or deep pot over MED HIGH heat.  Add drizzle of olive oil and brown Italian sausage, crumbling it with a wooden spoon or potato masher as it cooks, about 4-5 minutes.  Drain excess grease and return to pan.
• Add cut pepperoni pieces, diced onion, and diced green pepper, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
• Stir in marinara sauce, oregano and basil.  Add water, stir and bring to a boil over HIGH heat.  When boiling, add pasta, stir, reduce to a simmer, cover with lid and simmer about 12-15 minutes, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is gone.
• Stir in 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, remove from heat.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Sprinkle top with remaining mozzarella, and lay remaining slices of pepperoni on top.
• Broil on HIGH for 1-3 minutes, until cheese is bubbly, melted and slightly golden.  Serve garnished with minced parsley or basil.

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Chef Tips

If your cooking pot isn't oven/broiler safe, you can add the cheese and pepperoni slices on top, then cover with lid and heat on low a few minutes until cheese is melted.  The pepperoni slices won't be as crispy this way, so here's my solution to that:

 

1. Before browning the sausage, add the uncut pepperoni slices to the bottom of the cooking pot with a drizzle of oil over MED-HIGH heat.  
2. Cook until crispy, then remove to a paper towel lined plate for the end of the dish.  
3. Continue cooking recipe as directed.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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