Italian Sausage and pepperoni pasta bake is a hearty, filling dinner that comes together quickly and pleases even picky palates. A mixture of penne, rotini, and farfalle pasta, tomato sauce, Italian sausage, and fun mini pepperoni combines with mozzarella for a delicious, easy dinner.
Pasta bake is is a super simple casserole that will become a regular part of your dinner rotation. Spicy Italian sausage and mini pepperoni bring a pizza vibe to this dish that kids love.
Make this meaty pasta casserole ahead and pop it in the fridge or freezer, then heat up whenever you need a quick, nourishing meal.
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Ingredients
Italian sausage and pepperoni pasta bake has just 5 easy-to-find ingredients.
- Pasta shapes - I like to use a combination of rotini, farfalle, and penne pasta.
- Tomato sauce - My favorite jarred sauce for this dish is Prego mini-meatball. We love the taste and the mini meatballs are super fun to eat!
- Italian sausage - A classic flavor profile that packs a tasty punch.
- Mini pepperoni - These adorable tiny pepperoni bring flavor to every bite.
- Mozzarella cheese - Mozzarella cheese with red sauce and pasta is a classic combo.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Italian Sausage and Pepperoni Pasta Bake
This recipe takes about 15 minutes to prep and then bakes in the oven for 25 minutes, which gives me time to throw together a quick salad and garlic bread.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brown the Italian sausage in a skillet and drain any excess fat.
Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.
Combine cooked pasta, Italian sausage, mini pepperoni, and sauce in a large bowl. Stir until combined.
Transfer pasta mixture into a baking dish and cover the top with mozzarella cheese.
Cook in 375-degree oven for 25 minutes or until pasta is heated through and cheese is melted and starting to brown. If the cheese starts to brown too early cover the dish in foil for the rest of the cooking time.
Substitutions
This recipe is delicious as is and also makes a great base to switch out whatever meats or cheese you prefer.
- Pasta - Virtually any small pasta shape will work. Ideally the pasta should have lots of ridges for sauce to get into.
- Italian sausage - This is my favorite meat to eat with red sauce and pasta, but if you're not a fan you can use another type of sausage (I've even made it with breakfast sausage) or just ground beef.
- Mini pepperoni - These are fun to eat and bring meaty pepperoni flavor to every bite, but regular size pepperoni is fine to substitute.
- Tomato sauce - Feel free to use the jarred sauce of your choice or make your own if you're feeling ambitious.
- Mozzarella - Try provolone or ricotta cheese to change it up.
Equipment
This casserole will fit in a 9x13 baking dish (this one comes with a handy lid) or an extra-deep 8x8 or 9x9 (ohmygosh this one is SO cute).
Storage
This pasta bake can be made ahead and stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The pasta may soak up some of the sauce while in storage, so you can add ½ cup more sauce to the casserole before serving if it seems dry.
Top tip
This is such an easy dish to make, but it will taste like you spent all day in the kitchen! This is also a great casserole to take to a potluck or for a friend who is under the weather.
FAQ
For this dish I used penne, rotini, and farfalle, but any small-ish shape will work. The most important feature is ridges and crevices to hold onto the sauce.
The best way to freeze this pasta bake is to cook and cool it completely, then cover tightly with a lid or foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. The day before you would like to cook transfer to the fridge to thaw. Add 10-15 minutes to the cooking time at 375 F.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with hearty Italian sausage and pepperoni pasta bake:
Hearty Italian Sausage and Pepperoni Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta shapes uncooked
- 2 cups tomato pasta sauce 1 jar or 24 ounces
- 16 ounces Italian sausage
- ½ cup mini pepperoni
- 1-½ cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Brown the Italian sausage in a pan on the stove top. Drain any fat.
- Cook the pasta according to pasta directions until al dente.
- Add cooked pasta, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and sauce to a large bowl and mix until combined. Transfer to baking dish and cover with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and starting to brown.
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