Pizza Pasta | Quick And Easy Stovetop Instructions

Pizza Pasta is guaranteed to be a family favorite with the rich flavors of your favorite pizza toppings, tender pasta, and tangy pizza sauce, all held together by tons of melty cheese. Next time you’re tempted to order pizza, make this quick and easy Pizza Pasta recipe instead!

Why This Will Be A New Family Favorite

It’s quick. Ready in under 30 minutes, you’ll love this as a new option for a simple weeknight meal.

Preparation is super easy. Prepare your pasta, choose your favorite protein, mix it all of the ingredients together in a pan, top with cheese, and bake until bubbly.

You can customize it. Love your pizza topped with veggies? Are you more of a meat lover? Is cheese only a must in your house? You can replicate the flavors of your favorite pizza in this family-friendly pasta dish.

Ingredients To Grab

Small Shells– I prefer small shells because they cook quickly and are the perfect little pasta vessel to hold onto a ton of sauce. Feel free to use any style of pasta you have in your pantry. Just keep in mind cooking times will vary.

Ground Beef– Beef is one of my favorite pizza toppings, so I love to add it to this pasta dish. Feel free to swap it out for ground sausage, rotisserie chicken, ham, or any other protein.

Pepperoni– My kids are pepperoni lovers, so this was our compromise to both get our favorites in one meal.

Pizza Sauce– I just buy the cheap store-brand stuff for this pasta. With all of the other ingredients, I can’t really tell a difference in the flavor. If you have a favorite brand or prefer to make your own, those are great options too!

Mozzarella Cheese– This creates a perfectly cheesy and melty top for the baked pasta and takes the presentation to the next level (let’s be honest, this isn’t a show stopper to look at).

Parmesan Cheese– Shredded or the powdered shaker version both work well. I don’t always keep shredded parmesan on hand, but that green shaker bottle takes up permanent residence in our kitchen.

Italian Seasoning– Use the premixed variety. Or don’t. I’m not the spice police, I just like food that tastes good.

Garlic Powder– If you prefer to saute fresh garlic in with your ground beef while it cooks, go for it. When I’m looking for a lazy dinner, I can’t be bothered.

Salt and Pepper– Just a little bit to taste to enhance the natural flavors of the other ingredients.

How To Make Pizza Pasta

Cook the pasta. Boil a large pot of water and add in the pasta of your choice cook until al dente.

Prepare the protein. While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef and slice the pepperoni in halves or quarters.

Combine the ingredients. Drain the water from the cooked pasta and add in the cooked ground beef, pepperoni, pizza sauce, spices, and parmesan cheese.

Bake the pizza pasta. Move the assembled Pizza Pasta to an oven-safe pan and cover the top with mozzarella cheese and more pepperoni. Place it in the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 400F.

Serve and enjoy! Carefully serve this pasta in a pasta bowl with garlic bread and enjoy!

Tips And Tricks

• Use precooked protein. I love keeping pre-cooked ground beef or ground sausage in my freezer for recipes like this. If I know I’m going to need a quick meal, I just pull some out of the freezer that morning and it’s ready to just dump in the pasta once it’s cooked and it’s ready to bake. It saves a ton of time, dishes, and effort. Precooked bacon, leftover rotisserie chicken, or Instant Pot shredded chicken is also tasty in this dish.
• Make it a one-pan meal. Not a fan of dirtying dishes? Cook everything in one pan! It takes a little more time, but it makes for a simple clean-up. The key is to cook your pasta in a high-sided oven-safe skillet. I use this trick for almost all of my recipes that call for baking to finish.
• Double it up. I don’t know about your house, but we’re currently in the season of first dinner and second dinner every night with three growing boys. Doubling the recipe guarantees there will be leftovers that are easy to pop in the microwave the next time someone needs a bite.

Variations

Most of the time I would tell you that my version of a recipe is the way you should try it the first time you prepare it. Then if you want to tweak something about it, do it the second time you make it. This recipe doesn’t apply to those rules. Grab your favorite pizza toppings before you get started the first time for your perfect bowl of pasta.

• Very Veggie. I could take or leave vegetables most of the time, but if you live a meatless lifestyle, saute some mushrooms, olives, onions, and bell peppers for a healthier twist on a favorite.
• Meat Lovers. Sure, ground beef and pepperoni are a delicious duo, but why not add in some of their protein-packed friends? Add in ham, sausage, or even bacon for a tasty twist.
• Hawaiian Madness. Ok, I know that this is a very controversial topic, but if you love pineapple on pizza, try it with pineapple and ham instead of ground beef and pepperoni.

What To Serve With It

We all know that the perfect pizza side dish is breadsticks, but what about Pizza Pasta? Well, breadsticks are also great with it, but here are a few more ideas to serve with it if you want something a little more nutritious than more carbs:

• A salad
• Roasted broccoli
• Cottage Cheese
• Brussels Sprouts
• Asparagus

How Long Does It Last?

I’ve always stood by the idea that pasta is actually better leftover than it is enjoyed fresh. As much as I love this hot and bubbly out of the oven, it’s just as good the next day. This Pizza Pasta recipe lasts up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Can You Freeze Pizza Pasta?

Yes! Pizza Pasta is a great option for a make-ahead freezer meal. If you know someone that is expecting a child, having surgery, or needs a little help cooking, this is just the recipe for them. Allow the cooked pizza pasta to cool to room temperature, place it in a freezer-safe container with the date, and store it flat. It should stay good for up to 3 months before it starts to lose flavor and texture.

When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen leftovers, allow them to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, you can toss it in a skillet and warm it over low-medium heat for a few minutes until it reaches your desired temperature, or you can place it in a casserole dish and bake it at 375F for 20-25 minutes.

More Pasta Recipes

• Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• Instant Pot Tortellini Soup
• Taco Macaroni And Cheese

If you love this Pizza Pasta as much as we do, make sure you share it with your friends on social media! They’re going to love how quick, easy, and delicious it is too.