If you can’t decide between a big cheesy pizza and a comforting pasta dinner, why not have both? This pepperoni sausage pizza pasta combines all the best parts of pizza with hearty pasta for one seriously satisfying baked dinner.
It’s loaded with hot Italian sausage, sliced sausage links, mini pepperonis, bell peppers, jalapeños, tomatoes, garlic, Italian-inspired seasonings, and plenty of mozzarella cheese. Everything gets tossed together with mini penne pasta before being baked until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
It’s hearty, cheesy, a little spicy, and packed with pizza flavor. Plus, the whole family can scoop it straight from the baking dish, which makes it perfect for busy weeknights, game days, or feeding a hungry crowd.
If you love pizza-inspired dishes like this, be sure to try our pepperoni pizza breadsticks and pepperoni pizza stuffed peppers next!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with pizza-inspired flavors
- Made with two types of Italian sausage
- Packed with pepperoni and mozzarella
- Mini penne holds onto all that delicious sauce
- Bell peppers and jalapeños add flavor and texture
- Easy to assemble
- Great for feeding a crowd
- Perfect for leftovers
- Can be prepared ahead of time
- Everything gets finished in one baking dish
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
- Hot Italian Sausage: Brings savory, spicy, and herby flavor to the whole pasta bake.
- Mini Penne Pasta: Gives the dish its hearty base and holds onto all that rich tomato sauce and melted cheese.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Creates that gooey, stretchy layer that makes a baked pasta dish so satisfying.
- Pepperoni: Adds classic pizza flavor with a salty, savory bite that works perfectly with the sausage.
- Bell Peppers & Jalapenos: Add sweetness, color, and a nice layer of fresh heat to balance the rich meats and cheese.
- Garlic, Oregano & Basil: Build that classic Italian-style flavor throughout the sauce.
- Cajun Seasoning & Red Pepper Flakes: Turn up the savory flavor and heat, making this bake extra bold.
Variations
- Make it milder: Use mild Italian sausage and leave out the jalapeños and red pepper flakes.
- Add mushrooms: Sauté sliced mushrooms with the peppers and onions for a classic pizza topping.
- Use different cheese: Try a combination of mozzarella and provolone, or add some Parmesan to the cheese mixture.
- Add more vegetables: Mushrooms, black olives, spinach, or banana peppers would all be delicious.
- Swap the pasta: Use rotini, rigatoni, ziti, or another short pasta instead of mini penne.
- Use turkey sausage: Substitute turkey Italian sausage for some or all of the pork sausage.
- Extra cheesy: Add another layer of mozzarella across the top before baking.
- Make it extra spicy: Add more jalapeños or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Supreme pizza style: Add mushrooms, olives, bell peppers, and extra pepperoni for a supreme-pizza-inspired version.
How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
Step 1: Brown the sausage links. Then, add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and cook until fully cooked. Cool and slice into ½-inch pieces.
Step 2: Cook the hot Italian sausage and onions in the same skillet until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are translucent.
Step 3: Add the veggies and cook until tender. Then, add the seasonings and cook until fragrant.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water and cook covered. Then, stir in the sausage slices.
Step 5: Cook the pasta to al dente while the sausage mixture cooks. Then, mix with the sausage mixture.
Step 6: Add mozzarella, reserving ½ cup. Then, add the mini pepperoni, reserving ¼ cup, and the quartered pepperoni. Mix well.
Step 7: Pour into a prepared 9×13 baking dish. Then, top with the remaining mozzarella and pepperoni.
Step 8: Bake until bubbly and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Cook the pasta just until al dente. It will continue cooking when it’s mixed with the hot sauce and baked.
- Save some pasta water. The pasta water helps loosen the tomato sauce and gives everything a nice consistency. It’s worth setting some aside before draining the pasta.
- Let the sausage brown. Don’t rush the sausage links. Getting some golden-brown color on them adds extra flavor.
- Use the same skillet. Cooking the vegetables and sauce in the same skillet used for the sausage means all those flavorful browned bits get incorporated into the sauce.
- Let the dish cool briefly. It’s tempting to dig in immediately, but letting the pasta sit for a few minutes makes it easier to serve without everything sliding apart.
Pepperoni Sausage Pizza Pasta FAQs
Pepperoni sausage pizza pasta is a cheesy baked pasta casserole that combines the flavors of pizza with hearty pasta. It features hot Italian sausage, sausage links, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeños, and Italian-inspired seasonings mixed with mini penne pasta.
Mini penne works especially well because its shape holds onto the tomato sauce and cheese. You can also use regular penne, rotini, rigatoni, ziti, or another short pasta.
Absolutely. Use mild Italian sausage, leave out the jalapeños, and reduce or omit the red pepper flakes. You can also adjust the amount of spicy pepperoni to your preference.
Definitely. Mushrooms, black olives, spinach, banana peppers, extra bell peppers, and additional pepperoni are all delicious options. You can even turn it into a supreme-pizza-inspired pasta.
Yes. Assemble the pasta mixture in the baking dish, cover it, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. You may need to add extra baking time because the casserole will be chilled.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Yes. Assemble the pasta in a freezer-safe baking dish and freeze it before baking. Thaw it in the refrigerator before baking for the best results.
Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave until hot. For larger portions, reheat the pasta covered in the oven. If it seems dry, add a small splash of water or broth before reheating.
Great Pairings for Your Pizza Pasta
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Pepperoni Sausage Pizza Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage links
- 1 cup mini pepperonis
- ½ cup pepperonis, quartered
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 15 ounce crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce petite diced tomatoes
- 6 ounce tomato paste
- 6 ounces pasta water
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 jalapeños, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Slay Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound mini penne pasta
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage links and fry on both sides until golden brown. Add in ¼ cup of water (or enough to cover just the bottom of the pan) and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low-medium and let cook until sausages are completely cooked through. Remove links from skillet and set aside.
- Let sausage links cool for a few minutes and then slice links into ½ inch slices.
- Add ground sausage and onion to the skillet. Cook over medium heat until meat is cooked through and onions are translucent.
- Now, add the red and green bell peppers, jalapenos, and garlic. Cook until the veggies are tender.
- Add in seasonings, mix until fully incorporated and let cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Stir until combined. Cover with lid and let cook.
- Add sausage links to the skillet.
- In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions to al dente.
- Once pasta has cooked, drain water and add to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Now, add in mozzarella, reserving ½ cup for the topping, mini pepperonis, reserving ¼ cup for the topping, and quartered pepperonis. Mix well.
- Place pasta in the prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese and mini pepperonis.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
- Cook the pasta just until al dente. It will continue cooking when it’s mixed with the hot sauce and baked.
- The pasta water helps loosen the tomato sauce and gives everything a nice consistency. It’s worth setting some aside before draining the pasta.
- Don’t rush the sausage links. Getting some golden-brown color on them adds extra flavor.
- Cooking the vegetables and sauce in the same skillet used for the sausage means all those flavorful browned bits get incorporated into the sauce.
- It’s tempting to dig in immediately, but letting the pasta sit for a few minutes makes it easier to serve without everything sliding apart.
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