Description
This Pizza Pasta Bake combines the comforting flavors of pizza with tender fusilli pasta, all baked together in a rich tomato sauce with pepperoni and melted mozzarella. Perfect for a family dinner or a crowd-pleasing meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- Pizza Pasta Bake Sauce:
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 400 g (14 oz) tomato puree (or chopped tomatoes + 1 tbsp tomato paste)
- Handful fresh basil leaves and stalks
- Pinch of sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pizza Pasta Bake:
- 500 g (1 lb) fusilli pasta, cooked (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) pepperoni or salami, sliced
- 1–2 cups grated/shredded mozzarella cheese
- Handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Heat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a baking dish.
- Prepare sauce: In a skillet, sauté onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and oregano, cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree, fresh basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5–7 minutes.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Toss cooked fusilli with sauce and reserved pasta water if needed to loosen. Add pepperoni and half of the mozzarella, mixing gently.
- Assemble bake: Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top and additional basil if desired.
- Bake: Bake 15–20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve warm.
Notes
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
- Use any favorite pizza toppings like mushrooms, bell peppers, or olives.
- Can be made ahead and baked just before serving.
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven or microwave.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 40mg