Description
This hearty Pizza Casserole combines rotini pasta, savory ground beef and Italian sausage, mixed with sautéed vegetables and rich pizza sauce, all topped with melted Colby jack cheese and pepperoni slices. It’s a comforting and satisfying one-dish meal perfect for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 3 ½ cups rotini pasta
Meat
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage (hot or mild)
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
Vegetables
- ½ onion, chopped
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 4 ounces sliced mushrooms (optional, 1 can)
Others
- 28 ounces pizza sauce (2 jars)
- 1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese
- ½ cup pepperoni slices
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray to prevent sticking, then set it aside for later use.
- Cook pasta: Boil the rotini pasta according to the package instructions, but cook it for one minute less than suggested to keep it slightly firm. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Brown the meats: In a large frying pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage until no longer pink, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season the meats: Add the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to the browned meat mixture. Continue cooking and stirring for about 1 minute to incorporate the flavors. Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Drain any excess fat from the pan but keep the drippings. Using the same pan, sauté the chopped onions, shredded carrots, and chopped green bell peppers until softened, approximately 5 minutes.
- Combine meats and vegetables: Return the cooked meat mixture to the pan with the sautéed vegetables. If using mushrooms, add them now and stir everything together evenly.
- Mix pasta and sauce: Add the cooked rotini pasta and the pizza sauce to the pan with the meat and vegetable mixture. Toss all ingredients thoroughly to ensure an even distribution of sauce and flavors.
- Assemble casserole: Pour the combined mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the shredded Colby jack cheese over the top, then arrange the pepperoni slices evenly on the cheese.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese on top has fully melted and lightly browned.
Notes
- Cooking the pasta slightly underdone helps prevent it from becoming mushy after baking.
- Drain excess fat carefully to reduce grease but retain flavor from the drippings for sautéing vegetables.
- Mushrooms are optional; feel free to omit if not desired or replace with other vegetables.
- Adjust salt and pepper to your taste during cooking.
- For a spicier casserole, use hot Italian sausage and add red pepper flakes if desired.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute rotini with a gluten-free pasta.
