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4.85
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30 minutes minutes
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 02/12/2020
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Everything you love about a deluxe pizza, with flavors like pepperoni, Italian sausage, green bell pepper, plenty of cheese, and sweet onion, in a kid-friendly one pot pasta recipe, ready in just 30 minutes. What’s not to love?!
This EasyPizza One Pot Pastais one of my favorite meals to cook for my family. We really love one pot meals, and one pot pastas are always a winner… like my Cheesesteak Pasta and Chicken Parmesan Pasta! This is one of myOne Pot MealsI know you’ll want to keep on hand!
PIZZA ONE POT PASTA
Since transforming chicken parmesan and Philly cheesesteak into one pot pasta dishes, I just KNEW a pizza one had to happen.
I am a pizza fanatic!! And my family, well they love pizza too, but they also love pasta… so why not combine the two?!
Once combined, you have the most mouthwatering pasta, full of pizza flavors, and tons of ooey gooey cheese. You will LOVE this meal!
HOW TO MAKE ONE POT PASTA
- Brown sausage in dutch oven and drain grease, then return to pot.
- Add pepperoni pieces, onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook a few minutes.
- Stir in pasta sauce, seasonings and water. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add pasta, stir, cover, and simmer 12-15 minutes, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is gone.
- Stir in 1 cup of cheese, then top with remaining cheese and pepperoni slices.
- Broil on HIGH for 1-3 minutes.
COOKING TIPS FOR PIZZA PASTA
Making one pot pasta meals isn’t difficult, but there can be a few bumps along the way. Here are my tips.
- Use the right pasta – long cut pastas like spaghetti or fettuccine might work, but when a recipe has been tested with short cuts, use those for the best results. I’ve tested this recipe with penne pasta.
- Make sure you use plenty of liquid – don’t skimp on the water… I promise it won’t water the flavor down. You need that liquid to cook the pasta properly.
- Stir, stir, stir – this isn’t a recipe you can set to simmer and walk away for a while. You need to give the pasta a stir several times throughout the cooking process, and more so the last 4-5 minutes. If you don’t stir, the pasta can stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Watch the burner temperature – every stove is different, so while I can put mine on simmer and have it work perfectly, maybe your simmer is too low (or too hot). You want the liquid to just be simmering… if the temperature is too hot, the pasta will boil too quickly, and there will still be too much liquid in the pot. If you have the temperature down too low, the pasta won’t be cooked enough. A good rule of thumb is to check and adjust if needed each time you uncover the pot to stir the pasta.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- Pizza Sauce – if you’d prefer, you can use an equivalent amount of pizza sauce instead of marinara.
- Extra Cheeses –I love to add some extra shredded Parmesan cheese to the topping. It adds a little something special.
- Toppings – feel free to add more of your favorite toppings, like mushrooms, olives, bacon/ham, etc.
MAKING ONE POT PASTA AHEAD OF TIME
I don’t recommend making the whole dish ahead of time, as the pasta can soak up too much sauce and get soggy. However, you can absolutely prep ahead for this recipe!
- Brown Italian sausage, drain, and store in the refrigerator.
- Chop bell pepper, onion and garlic, and store in the refrigerator.
- Slice pepperoni and store in the refrigerator.
STORAGE
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within a week.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- Dutch Oven– great for soups, frying, and these one pot meals!
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven– if you want one like in the photographs, and your budget is open, I have several of these and LOVE them!
OTHER GREAT ONE POT MEALS:
- One Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
- One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- One Pot Chicken Stroganoff
- One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Cheesy Deluxe Pizza Pasta
4.85 from 19 votesAuthor: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 7 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Calories: 441
Servings: 8 servings
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Classic deluxe pizza flavors are mixed with cheesy pasta in this one pot dish that is perfect for a busy weeknight!
Ingredients
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed (or buy pre-ground sausage)
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, divided
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 3 cups water
- 1 lb dry, uncooked short cut pasta (like penne, rigatoni, etc)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh minced parsley or basil, for garnish
Instructions
Cut 1/2 the pepperoni slices into 4 pieces, set aside.
Heat a dutch oven or deep pot over MED HIGH heat. Add drizzle of olive oil and brown Italian sausage, crumbling it with a wooden spoon or potato masher as it cooks, about 4-5 minutes. Drain excess grease and return to pan.
Add cut pepperoni pieces, diced onion, and diced green pepper, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Stir in marinara sauce, oregano and basil. Add water, stir and bring to a boil over HIGH heat. When boiling, add pasta, stir, reduce to a simmer, cover with lid and simmer about 12-15 minutes, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is gone.
Stir in 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, remove from heat. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle top with remaining mozzarella, and lay remaining slices of pepperoni on top.
Broil on HIGH for 1-3 minutes, until cheese is bubbly, melted and slightly golden. Serve garnished with minced parsley or basil.
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Chef Tips
If your cooking pot isn't oven/broiler safe, you can add the cheese and pepperoni slices on top, then cover with lid and heat on low a few minutes until cheese is melted. The pepperoni slices won't be as crispy this way, so here's my solution to that:
- Before browning the sausage, add the uncut pepperoni slices to the bottom of the cooking pot with a drizzle of oil over MED-HIGH heat.
- Cook until crispy, then remove to a paper towel lined plate for the end of the dish.
- Continue cooking recipe as directed.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Meet The Chunky Chef
Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!
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Janice Bailey says
I’ve made this a few times and it is so good. The first couple of times, I followed the instructions exactly and it was delicious now I experiment a little ( like more sauce, different sauces, different veggies. Try this, you’ll like it.
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V says
This is a staple in our family dinner nights! We use GF penne, spicy marinara, double+ onion/bell pepper & remove the sausage. Great way to get lots of veggies in for littles! Add crushed red pepper, so delicious -thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
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Kim says
This recipe is absolutely delicious! It is definitely a family favorite, and you make it all in one pot. I used rigatoni, so I had to cook it longer so that it was the correct tenderness, but I guarantee you will love this recipe. Thank you for sharing Chunky Chef. 98% of the recipes I make are yours, and I haven’t found one that isn’t fabulous!
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BethyBG says
My family loves when I make this meal and that’s saying a lot. My kids won’t eat much of what I make. They’ve gotten picky as they’ve gotten older. I love how easy it is to make. I only needed to follow the recipe the first time or two then I could do it from memory. I like that. I’d love to have more recipes similar to this one but with different flavor.
Thank you, Chunky Chef!!!
Mother of 3 semi grown kids/2 still homeReply
The Chunky Chef says
So happy to hear this recipe was a hit with your family! I know all too well how it is to have picky kiddos. I have a lot of other one pot recipes here on the site that I hope you’ll enjoy https://www.thechunkychef.com/one-pot-meals/ 🙂
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Ann Sherman says
5 star, Family loved it Thanks
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