Description

This hearty Pizza Casserole combines the classic flavors of pizza with the comfort of a baked pasta dish. Featuring rotini pasta, ground beef, a rich tomato pizza sauce seasoned with Italian herbs and spices, turkey pepperoni, and melted mozzarella cheese, it's an easy, crowd-pleasing meal perfect for weeknight dinners. Baked to bubbly perfection, this casserole is both satisfying and simple to prepare.

Ingredients

Pasta

½ tablespoon salt
16 ounces rotini pasta

Meat and Sauce

1 lb ground beef
28 ounces pizza sauce (2 jars of 14 ounces each)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

Toppings

5-ounce package turkey pepperoni (24 whole pepperonis, remaining coarsely chopped)
8-ounce mozzarella cheese block, shredded

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Instructions

Preheat oven and prepare baking dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Boil water and cook pasta: In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water and ½ tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain pasta thoroughly.
Brown the ground beef: In a skillet over medium-low heat, cook the ground beef until fully browned. Drain excess grease if needed.
Prepare the meat sauce: Add the pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and brown sugar to the browned beef. Stir well to combine everything evenly.
Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked pasta, half of the shredded mozzarella cheese, and the coarsely chopped pepperoni into the meat sauce mixture. Mix everything thoroughly.
Assemble casserole: Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese on top, then arrange the whole turkey pepperoni slices evenly over the cheese.
Bake the casserole: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 15–20 minutes until the cheese melts completely and the pepperoni becomes slightly greasy and crispy.
Serve: Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, then serve and enjoy your warm, comforting pizza casserole!

Notes

For a spicier dish, increase the amount of red pepper flakes or add some crushed chili flakes.
You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for the ground beef to make the dish leaner.
Using freshly shredded mozzarella cheese melts better than pre-shredded varieties which often contain anti-caking agents.
Feel free to add vegetables like bell peppers or mushrooms to the meat sauce for extra nutrition and flavor.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.