Sometimes combining different recipe ideas into one dish works, and sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, I was really pleased when I combined the flavours of pizza with my one of my favourite carb fests, the baked pasta casserole.
Cheese. I heart you. You make every casserole sing.
Not stemming from any recipe book, this recipe evolved over time. It goes something like this:
First, in high school, you start out making macaroni and cheese out of a box.
Then, in university, you learn that you can make a complete meal just by adding cooked, sliced wieners to your cheesy mac. It’s a good thing when you’re young, and broke (hey, don’t knock it ‘till you try it).
You’re done school, you start working, you get hitched, and your tastes change…some cooked ground beef, some diced tomatoes, and shredded cheese fit the bill as more appropriate mac & cheese add-ins.
You’re older now, but you still love a slice of pizza or big bowl of pasta now and then. But, you’ve moved past fast food options and the “meal in a box” aisle (most of the time), trying to create a healthy lifestyle for your family. This is what you make for them today when the pasta cravings come a-callin’. Not that this is what I would label “healthy” eating. But on a nutrition scale, it’s miles away from that sawdusty neon orange powdered elbow mac in a box from your childhood. And, it’s completely homemade, so you have total control over what you put into your meal, which ranks more highly on the healthy eating scale than restaurant food or pre-packaged food in my books.
Choose your favourite pizza toppings to include in this casserole.
Play around with the ingredients in this recipe to suit your tastes. If your children will only eat pepperoni pasta, omit the vegetables. If your partner loves sausage and sun dried tomatoes, add them to your sauce. Also consider using different varieties of cheese. Do you like cheese blends? Try Asiago, Pecorino, Parmesan, Cheddar, Friulano. The combinations are endless, and you will be able to add this to your weekly pasta night repertoire without ever getting bored of this dish if you are willing (and able!) to experiment with the ingredients.
Whenever I make this casserole, my daughter says “I love you, mom, and this tastes good”.
This casserole is a real crowd pleaser, because it's got all of the pizza flavours combined with a hot, cheesy pasta meal. Feel free to play around with your favourite pizza toppings in this casserole. You could add some sliced olives, put in some ground sausage or sliced bacon, and you can also vary the type of cheese. If you want to spice things up a bit, feel free to sprinkle on some chili flakes too!
Ingredients
- 3 cups pasta (use your favourite shape of short pasta)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped in bite size pieces
- 1 large green pepper, chopped in bite size pieces
- 4 oz sliced mushrooms (half a small package)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 to 4 oz pre-sliced pepperoni, sliced in half moon shapes (one small package)
- 2 ½ cups pasta sauce
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a large casserole dish (9 x 13) with some butter, or spray with some non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. You can undercook it by about a minute or two, since it will spend some time baking in the oven. Before draining the pasta in the colander, remove 1 cup of the pasta water to add to your sauce later.
- In the meantime, in a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the chopped vegetables and salt. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, to allow vegetables to soften and barely start to brown or caramelize.
- Add the pepperoni, and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the pasta sauce, oregano, and stir to blend. Let cook to allow the flavours to blend, another two minutes.
- Add about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, to thin out the sauce. Add your drained pasta, and stir well to coat. If you feel you should add a bit more pasta water, go ahead. Most pasta casseroles that end up in the oven benefit from having a runnier sauce so don’t be afraid to make the sauce thinner than you normally would if you were serving it directly to the table. As the noodles bake in the oven, they will absorb most of the sauce.
- Dump the contents of the saucepan into a 9x13 casserole, and top with the cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving.
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