Meat Lovers Pizza Casserole
This hearty Meat Lovers Pizza Casserole is loaded with Italian sausage, pepperoni, rigatoni, and melted mozzarella. A true comfort food classic that combines the best of pasta and pizza in one easy dish!
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Large Sauté Pan
- 9x13 Baking Dish
- Mixing Spoon
- Colander
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 jars Traditional Pasta Sauce (24 oz each)
- 1 pound Italian Sausage half beef
- 2 teaspoons Garlic minced
- 1 box Rigatoni Pasta (16 oz)
- 1 bag Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (12 oz)
- 1 bag Pepperoni reserve 18 slices, chop the rest
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Drizzle olive oil in a large sauté pan and heat over medium heat.
- Add Italian sausage to the pan. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Add minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook for 8 minutes (slightly undercooked). Drain and return to the pot.
- Count out 18 slices of pepperoni and set aside. Chop the remaining pepperoni into chunks.
- To the drained pasta, add cooked sausage with garlic, chopped pepperoni, both jars of pasta sauce, and a handful of mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the pasta mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella evenly over the top. Arrange the reserved pepperoni slices on top of the cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the pepperoni edges are crispy. Optional: broil for the last 2 minutes for a golden top.