Do you have to cook pasta before putting in casserole?

Use my simple no-cook method of precooking the pasta . Just soak the pasta in warm salted water before adding it to the other ingredients and sliding the mixture into the oven. Presoaking is a way to begin hydrating the pasta and washing away some of its starch, even as the salt in the water pre-seasons the pasta.

Do you need to boil pasta before baking?

Most pasta bake recipes require you to pre-boil your pasta until it's not quite cooked through and then finish it in the oven . But for days when you can't face another pot to wash up or just need something delicious and comforting but minimal effort…well this is the recipe for you!

Can you use pizza sauce on noodles?

For sure! Pizza sauce is basically the same as marinara sauce, with tomatoes, herbs, garlic, and onions. They can be pretty interchangeable. If you like the taste of your pizza sauce, feel free to use it on pasta, sandwiches, or meatball subs and vice versa.

Can you put uncooked pasta in the oven?

PREHEAT oven to 425 degrees. COMBINE uncooked pasta, 1 jar of Sauce and 1 jar of water in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil. BAKE 30 minutes.

Should you rinse pasta for a casserole?

The answer is simple: No, you should not rinse pasta . You should never rinse pasta, noodles, or macaroni if it is going to be added to a sauce and served.

What must be done to pasta before baking it?

Dried pasta needs to be par-boiled, then drained before using it in baked dishes. Just boil for half the time specified on the package. There is a type of dried no-boil lasagna sheets that don't require par-boiling, but they need extra water added to the sauce.

Can I cook raw pasta in sauce?

Cooking pasta in the sauce instead of in boiling water will increase the amount of time it takes to cook through . It's a good technique to use if you want to delay serving your pasta for a few minutes. Make sure to keep the sauce thinned out with pasta water as the pasta finishes cooking if you use this method.

Can you soak pasta instead of boiling?

Dry spaghetti rehydrates in about ten minutes in boiling water, and in around two hours in room-temperature water, so you can soak your spaghetti for a couple of hours to complete the first half of the process without using energy to boil water .

Can I use jarred pizza sauce for pasta?

Take your jarred pizza sauce and bring it to a stovetop. Before turning on the heat, add some pasta water from the boiled pasta. Add a pinch of sugar and salt until you find the correct balance. You can add any topping of your choice to the sauce, including vegetables, meat, and more.

Is there a difference in pizza sauce and pasta sauce?

Although they contain similar ingredients, there is a difference between pasta sauce and pizza sauce. Pizza sauce is prepared with uncooked pureed tomatoes while pasta sauce is made with cooked blended tomatoes and flavorful garlic, herbs, and spices .

What's the difference between pasta sauce and pizza sauce?

There's one primary difference between the two types of tomato-based sauces that's directly related to the disparate preparation methods: Pasta sauce from a jar is cooked (usually slow-roasted), and pizza sauce is uncooked, with ingredients combining over a period of hours.

Do you cook pasta before adding to sauce?

First, in authentic Italian cuisine, the sauce is always tossed with the pasta before it ever hits the plate. Just before the sauce is done cooking, the hot pasta is added to the saucepan . Generally speaking, we recommend cooking the pasta in the sauce together for about 1-2 minutes.

What happens if you don't cook pasta all the way?

It will not be enjoyable to eat and might not be fully safe as the heat hasn't been enough to kill bacteria present in flour. Additionally, if pasta is undercooked, it will not absorb the sauce as well, as the starch in the pasta will not have fully broken down.

Pizza Pasta Casserole Recipe (2024)

All your favorite pizza toppings mixed together with pasta make this Pizza Pasta Casserole a family favorite!

We love pizza at our house and when it’s mixed with pasta, it’s the perfect combination!

I am going to share some ways that we made this casserole a little healthier so you can feel good about feeding it to your family.

This casserole is so easy to adapt to your family’s tastes – if there are certain toppings they don’t like, feel free to remove them or switch them out for other favorite toppings.

Ingredients in this Pizza Pasta Casserole:

penne pasta
olive oil
onion
green pepper
mushrooms
garlic
sausage
pepperoni
diced tomatoes
tomato sauce
balsamic vinegar
Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
mozzarella cheese

Some healthy switches to make in this Pizza Pasta Casserole:

The first switch that we made was using a protein pasta. This isn’t sponsored, but it’s truly a product that I love and use all the time – and it’s really inexpensive!.

We all know that pasta is packed with carbs, but this pasta also packs a lot of protein and fiber, which everyone could use more of in their diets.

If I don’t have protein pasta on hand, I will usually use whole wheat pasta. If your family is nervous about whole wheat pasta, this is a great recipe to use it in because it’s hidden in all of the flavorful ingredients.

Another healthy switch that we made in this recipe was using turkey sausage – it’s lower in fat and calories, but still has lots of flavor and is a great source of protein.

We used a sweet Italian sausage, but you could also use a Hot Italian sausage if you want to add a little heat! Whatever sausage you use, just be sure to remove the casings from the sausage links.

We swapped out the pepperoni for turkey pepperoni.

We also swapped out the mozzarella cheese for a low-fat mozzarella cheese and then swapped out the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for a reduced-sodium variety of each one (canned foods tend to have a lot of sodium and there is plenty of flavor in this dish without the added sodium).

Related recipe: Love quick and easy pasta dishes? Try our 20-Minute Tuscan Pasta!

How to make Pizza Pasta Casserole:

Step 1: Prepare the pasta as directed on the package for al dente pasta.

Step 2: While the is cooking, place a large skillet over medium high heat on the stove top. Warm up the olive oil and then add the onions and green pepper. Cook for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook for a few more minutes. Push everything to the side of the pan and add the sausage to the pan.

Step 3: Cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks (I used a Chop Stir). Cook until it’s no longer pink. Add in pepperoni and stir together.

Step 4: Add in remaining ingredients to the skillet except for mozzarella cheese. Turn the heat down to medium and let the mixture simmer so that the flavors can meld together.

Step 5: Turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta to the skillet pan. Mix everything together.

Step 6: Spray a large 9×13″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Dump the pasta mixture into the pan. Top with cheese and any other toppings you prefer.

Step 7: Bake in the oven (uncovered) for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

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More fun pizza recipes to love

Mini Texas Toast Pizzas
Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread
Baked Pizza-Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
Homemade Pizza Pockets
Slow Cooker Pizza Pasta Bake
Zucchini Pizza Casserole

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Serves: 8

Pizza Pasta Casserole Recipe

5 from 1 vote

All your favorite pizza toppings mixed together with pasta make this Pizza Pasta Casserole a family favorite!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

PrintPin

Ingredients

3 cups penne pasta (I used protein pasta, whole wheat works great too)
1½ teaspoons olive oil
1 onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms
4 garlic cloves minced
8 ounces Turkey Italian Sausage (casings removed – hot Italian sausage works too)
1 cup turkey pepperonis (cut into quarters)
28 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can, drained
15 ounces tomato sauce 1 can
½ Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
1½ cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the pasta as directed on the package.
While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium high heat on the stove top. Warm up the olive oil in the skillet and then add the onions and green pepper.
Cook for a few minutes until vegetables are tender, then add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 1 more minute. Push everything to the side of the pan and add the sausage.
Cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Cook until it's no longer pink. Drain grease. Add in the pepperoni slices and stir together.
Add in remaining ingredients to the skillet except for Mozzarella cheese.
Turn the heat down to medium and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes so that the flavors can meld together.
Turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta to the skillet pan. Mix everything together.
Spray a large 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dump the pasta mixture into the pan. Top with Mozzarella cheese and any other toppings you prefer.
Bake in the oven (uncovered) for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and pasta is heated through.

Notes

Some Healthier Options with this recipe include:

Protein Pasta
Turkey Pepperoni
Ground Turkey Sausage
Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese

Nutrition

Calories: 389 kcal · Carbohydrates: 45 g · Protein: 26 g · Fat: 12 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g · Cholesterol: 68 mg · Sodium: 1238 mg · Potassium: 776 mg · Fiber: 4 g · Sugar: 8 g · Vitamin A: 604 IU · Vitamin C: 35 mg · Calcium: 179 mg · Iron: 6 mg

Equipment

Large Skillet
9×13-inch Baking Pan
Non-stick Cooking Spray

Recipe Details

Course: Main Course

Join The Discussion

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John says:

You make us jump through hoops to get the recipe. I don't like having to add an extension to my browser and I refuse to let it force me to go to a Yahoo search engine for it to work.I guess we part company until you make it easier to get the info without being forced into unwanted choices.
Cyd says:

None of our recipes make it so you have to add an extension to your browser.
Dayna says:

I wish you had a pinterest link so we can save these recipes. I only use one recipe planner and don't want to have to use another.
Cyd says:

Scroll to the very bottom of the post for our social media links (including pinterest).
Tisha says:

I made this tonight. I used red pepper instead of green. Mild sausage and regular pepperoni. I also used a jar of pizza sauce and half a jar of marinara in place of tomatoes with the Italian seasoning. It turned out fabulous. The whole family was amazed how it taste like pizza without all the bread.
Lindsey says:

Can you freeze this and cool later?
Lindsey says:

I meant, cook later. :)
Momma Cyd says:

Yes, you could prepare this and place in freezer. Then thaw and cook as directed when ready.
Jess says:

I made this recipe just as it was to see if my kids would eat all the toppings as they are not big mushrooms fans and it worked they loved it and can’t wait to take it for lunches.
Shelley Peterson says:

Can I make this ahead of time and refrigerate for an hour then bake?
Momma Cyd says:

You can make ahead of time and refrigerate for an hour.

About The Author:

Camille Beckstrand

Camille Beckstrand is married to Jared and they have 4 kids. She is a certified life coach that loves helping women become "unstuck" in their lives and is the host of the podcast "Moms On The Rise". She also loves a good true crime podcast, a big plate of cheesy loaded nachos, and going on adventures with her family.

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