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| Loaded Pizza Pasta Casserole |
A casserole to please any meat-lovers pizza fan. Loaded with sausage, pepperoni and cheese, it’s sure to be a hit.
Because of a “buy 2 get 3 free” special at one of my local stores, I ended up with a boatload of pepperoni! Everyone knows I cannot resist these kinds of sales.
Having so much, I had to find something to do with it (besides snacking on it) and I was a bit tired of traditional pizza since I went on a rip with it last month.
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| Loaded with your favorite pizza toppings |
I’d also just bought a box of casserole-sized elbows that I wanted to use, but didn’t feel like mac & cheese either.
Couple that with an open jar of pasta sauce, some ripe olives that were left over and some sausage I’d pulled out of my chest freezer last time I was in there, and this casserole was born.
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| A dish of pure comfort |
It has all the elements of a loaded pizza but is completely different. Plus it’s a perfect dead-of-winter meal because it’s homey, warm and comforting.
It looks good too so it’d also make a good buffet dish for your next party.
Loaded Pizza Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups casserole-size elbows uncooked*
- 2 cups pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano Cheese divided
- 8 oz bulk Italian sausage any flavor
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni sliced in half
- 1/2 cup thickly sliced fresh mushrooms
- 2 tbsp chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- *Most “shaped” pasta will do–i.e. rotini, gemelli, penne, etc.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 2-quart baking dish.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse and drain.
- Brown sausage, onion, mushrooms and garlic in a heavy skillet; drain fat.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta sauce, cream, oregano and 2 tbs of the parmesan or romano cheese. Mix well.
- Add the browned sausage mixture, pepperoni and olives. Mix well. Turn into the prepared baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Uncover casserole and top with the shredded mozzarella and the remaining 2 tbs of parmesan or romano cheese.
- Return to oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and has started to brown.
Nutrition
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| Loaded Pizza Pasta Casserole |
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debra says
I want to make this loaded pizza pasta, and it calls for cream. What kind of cream do I use?
Judith Hanneman says
Half and half or light cream is good here. Even evaporated milk (undiluted) in a pinch.