She brought over the casserole to end all casseroles—pepperoni pizza casserole! A dish filled to the brim with everything that’s good about pizza—gooey cheese, spicy pepperoni, sweet Italian sausage and rich tomato sauce—over a bed of tender pasta. I’ll admit I was hesitant to try it at first—it was a casserole after all. But after the first bite I was converted.

And the best part? My notoriously picky kids cleaned their plates and asked for seconds. And now that I’m back at full strength making dinner for my family, this had become a regular on our rotation. Everyone loves it—including this new casserole lover!

 

Ingredients

1 lb bow tie (farfalle) pasta
1 lb sweet pork sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 lb cubed cooked ham (I used a few slices of cooked, crumbled bacon instead)
1/2 lb sliced pepperoni
24 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional to serve

Instructions

Cook pasta in boiling water, draining 2 minutes before the suggested cook time.

Cook sausage, onion, garlic and oregano in a large skillet until the sausage is no longer pink.

In a greased 9 x 13 inch pan, pour in a small amount of sauce to lightly coat bottom.

Layer 1/3 of the pasta, 1/3 remaining sauce, 8 oz mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and all of sausage mixture.

Layer 1/2 of the remaining pasta, 1/2 remaining sauce, 8 oz mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and the ham.

Top with remaining pasta, remaining sauce, 8 oz mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and enough pepperoni to completely cover the top of the casserole.

Bake casserole at 375°F for 40 minutes.

Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

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Quick tip: You can use whatever small pasta you have on hand.

Recipe and image courtesy of I Sing in the Kitchen.