Recipe: Pizza Baked Pasta

With limited time in my schedule for cooking, I like to make this super-sized recipe and divide it into three meals (one for immediate eating and two for the freezer).  You can certainly adjust the quantities if you only want it for a single meal.  This recipe is for three meals.

Pizza Baked Pasta

Ingredients:

2 (16 oz.) bags of elbow macaroni

1 lb. hot sausage (can use 2 lbs. if you want more meat)

1 package of pepperoni

1 large can of sliced black olives

2 small cans of sliced mushrooms

3 jars of pasta sauce  (Rao's is our favorite) *If you have a Costco membership you can get these for less.  Otherwise, here is an Amazon link: Rao's

Seasonings to taste:  Minced onion, fennel seeds, garlic powder, Italian seasoning mix

Olive oil

Lots of mozzarella cheese

Directions:

While the water is boiling for the pasta, brown the ground sausage.  In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Cut the pepperoni into bite size pieces.  (Tip: I like to rinse the black olives, mushrooms and pepperoni with water through a strainer to get rid of excess sodium.)  Once the sausage is cooked, drain the remaining grease and then add the pepperoni, olives, mushrooms and seasonings to the pan.  

Drain the pasta and set aside.  Once the meat and seasoning mixture has had time to marinate, add the jars of pasta sauce to that pan.  Mix everything together to make a meaty sauce full of pizza toppings.

In three large foil baking dishes, distribute the pasta evenly into the pans.  Drizzle some olive oil on the noodles and mix to prevent sticking.  Pour the marinara meat mixture evenly into the three pans and then mix everything together in the foil pan.

Top with a hefty layer of mozzarella cheese.  For the meal you are eating immediately, bake the pan in a 375 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Cover the other two pans in tin foil, label with the dish and date, let cool on the counter, and then pop them into the freezer for future easy meals (or to gift to others!)

To cook the freezer meals, thaw the pan the day before you want to serve it.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes with the foil on.  Then take the tin foil off the top and bake for an additional 15 minutes to melt the cheese.

Easy, kid-friendly meal!  Enjoy!  

Love, Leslie Ann

Check out the video version of this meal on my TikTok channel: @love.leslieann

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