Super Easy Pizza Pasta Bake (2024)

Why you’ll love it

This pizza casserole is one of those recipes that’s great when you’re low on time and patience but still want something hot and comforting. It makes a generous amount and it’s fairly inexpensive, so that’s another bonus. If you’ve got picky eaters, this recipe is definitely worth a try. Who doesn’t love pizza and pasta?

My very first job when I was 17 years old was working at a pizza place. I actually really liked that job, and even now whenever I make anything pizza related, the memories come flooding back. I guess in a way it predicted my future career! This pasta bake is way easier than making pizza from scratch, though. 😉

What you’ll need

• Pasta – I chose penne, but you can swap it for another pasta shape if you wish. Just make sure it’s similar in size, e.g. rigatoni.
• Marinara sauce – use your favorite brand. I really like Mezzetta or using my own Homemade Marinara if I’ve got a little more time. If marinara isn’t your thing, sub with another tomato-based pasta sauce (vodka sauce, arrabbiata, etc.), or even pizza sauce.
• Pepperoni – bags of pepperoni seem to come in various sizes depending where you live/what store you buy from, so anything around 10 ounces will work. It doesn’t have to be exact. Another option is to buy a stick of pepperoni and slice it yourself. Just try to slice it quite thin.
• Mozzarella – I save time and buy bagged shredded cheese. You can definitely grate your own. It’ll taste even better!

How to make this pizza pasta bake

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Preheat your oven to 375F. Boil the pasta for 2 minutes less than package directions, and drain it. Stir in the marinara sauce and about a third of the pepperoni. Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish, spreading in an even layer.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over it evenly. Arrange the remainder of the pepperoni over top. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Carefully broil so the pepperoni is crispy and the cheese is golden, and enjoy!

Substitutions and variations

• Sauté some crumbled Italian sausage and mushrooms, onions, and garlic, and add it in. Then you can get more of a meat lover’s style pizza casserole.
• You could definitely throw in some cooked veggies if you wanted to. Or some olives!
• Stir some red pepper flakes into the marinara for a spicy kick, and/or add some garlic powder and dried oregano to up the flavor.
• Switch up the cheese if you like. A mozza/cheddar blend would work great or a Tex-Mex blend to change it up a bit. Or add in an extra cup or so of freshly grated parmesan cheese to make that cheese layer even better.