This has been my go to for school sports Pasta Parties the day before events. BUT it is not Pizza Pasta without pizza sauce! I include a small can of Pastorelli Pizza Sauce mixed with enough spaghetti sauce to make it taste more like pizza and not just a pot of spaghetti. The small can is enough as it is more acidic and stronger then the spaghetti sauce. I only use black olives and mushrooms as they can be picked out and I am allergic to green bell peppers and they are not a kid friendly flavor. Kids are always happy when it is MY turn to host!
Very yummy comfort food. Great for family dinner and potlucks. A twist on pizza, lasagna, and spaghetti. One recipe will feed a large family or big appetites. Easy and quick to make and uses ingredients usually on hand. Works well with "regular" sausage or even hamburger. I've made just as written and also adjusted vegetables to taste. Both times were equally good.
I loved it even though the only veggie I had was black olives. Can't wait to make it again with all my favorite pizza veggies. Satisfied my pizza craving with no pizza place or frozen pizza in sight.
Use any other prepared sauce than Ragu. Ew! I used ricotta instead of cream cheese and added it just before putting the sauce in the past. Also added garlic and a shot of Worcestershire to the sauce and added cooked Italian sausage crumbles along with pepperoni to the top. Don't be afraid experiment!
This is like my version of pizza casserole without the cream cheese or sour cream which I have made numerous times over the past 20 years. It's a keeper and works very well for a crowd at a potluck or picnic. I also use extra sauce mix all together put in a 3 qt.casserole dish and bake for approx. 20-30 minutes in oven.
I'm not necessarily a pepperoni pizza fan since I prefer hamburger but I did make this and thought it was "right on" for flavor. It's obviously not a pizza but the taste of one was clear. I added some garlic with the onion and didn't have any black olives (which I haven't ever had on a pizza) but thought that this was very good and will make it again either with pepp. sausage or hamburger. I use my friends as guinea pigs for un-tried recipes and they also thought it was a "keeper." Thanks!
This is very good. I did use sour cream.
I actually made this before I found this recipe but I did a few things different. On the bottom of the pan I added a layer of shredded Parmesan. I used sweet Italian sausage and a Hillshire Farms hot Kielbasa and added some crushed red pepper. I added a little brown sugar to the meat the last few minutes of cooking. After putting the first layer in the pan I added 5 ounces of Blue Cheese along with a good layer of mozzarella. Then the second layer of pasta topped with more mozzarella shredded Parmesan and a cup and a half of a good crunchy panko.
Pizza Pasta Bake Haiku: "Very kid-friendly. But made without the cream cheese. I'd rather pizza." Taste was good, but I think I'd rather have all of those ingredients on pizza crust in my hands rather than mixed in w/ penne pasta. Did everything as directed other than not having cream cheese, and my daughter loved it, and I thought it was yummy, but not enough to go out of my way to make again.
