No boil pizza pasta casserole combines all of your favorite pizza toppings with the comfort of baked pasta. The best part is you don’t even have to boil the noodles first, so assembly is quick and easy.
If you are a big fan of cheesy baked pasta dishes and pizza, you are going to love this easy dinner option. It is easy to customize to your family’s preferences and is super simple to put together.
Pasta makes a pretty regular appearance at our dinner table. It is economical, filling and the flavor combinations are basically endless.
With school back in session and soccer season in full swing, weeknights are busy around here. I am sure you can relate.
So having some low effort dinner options teed up is a requirement. That is where no boil pasta recipes really help.
You can start with a box of uncooked noodles and a few mix ins and have dinner in the oven in no time. While it cooks, you can help with homework or just relax without constantly responding to a timer telling you it is time for the next step in dinner prep.
Plus the leftovers are great for lunches or a quick reheated dinner on another even busier evening. So it is a winner all the way around.
Any recipe that keeps us out of the drive through line is a win in my book, so don’t be ashamed if it feels like you are taking a few shortcuts. If anything be proud that you got a dinner the whole family can enjoy on the table!
Making the casserole
Start by putting a pound of uncooked pasta into a greased casserole dish. You can use rotini, ziti, penne, shells or pretty much any pasta shape that naturally allows for some airspace between the noodles.
Spaghetti and fettuccine may have a harder time cooking evenly because the sauce will have a hard time penetrating anywhere the pasta is really close together. If you only have a straight shape like that, consider breaking the pasta into smaller pieces and giving them a stir before baking to allow for more even liquid absorption.
I like using whole wheat pasta for that little bit of extra fiber, but feel free to use whatever you have. Now mix together a jar of sauce, some water and a few extra seasonings to punch it up.
Add the sauce and your favorite pizza toppings to the pasta and cover it with foil. Bake until the liquid is mostly absorbed and then remove the foil.
A healthy dose of cheese goes on top and the casserole goes back into the oven until the cheese is melted. Let it rest for a few minutes to set up a bit and allow the pasta to soak in any extra liquid then serve it up.
It is great served with garlic bread and a green salad. Or just make it the whole meal!
Fun topping ideas
We made our pizza pasta bake with what we happened to have at the time. So some cooked Italian sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms went into the mix.
I was tempted to add some diced green pepper and onion, but I knew that wouldn’t be popular with my son. Sliced olives would be good too if you are into that sort of thing, though that would be a quick way to have it go uneaten at our house.
We love a little Parmesan cheese on our pizzas and pastas, so it was a natural fit here as well. Feel free to add red pepper flakes too, or whatever your heart desires.
You could very easily use whatever your favorite pizza toppings are. Just get creative and have fun with it.
More Tasty No Boil Pasta Recipes
No boil rigatoni and meatballs is another fun pasta bake. It is super simple to put together but tastes like you prepped all day.
No boil mac and cheese is creamy and cheesy, just the way you would want it to be. But you don’t have to boil the noodles or make a cheese sauce!
No boil cheesy pasta casserole has a mix of ground beef, cheese and tomatoes. It is a creamy delicious baked pasta dish with way less effort.
Or let your crockpot do the cooking for you. Slow cooker baked pasta is another great recipe that doesn’t require you to boil the noodles ahead of time.
Have you ever tried a no boil pasta recipe? If so, what have been your favorite kinds?
Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!
No Boil Pizza Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
- 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
- 3½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 16 oz. rotini or similar pasta uncooked
- 1 lb. Italian sausage cooked and crumbled
- 4 oz. pepperoni
- 1 cup sautéed mushrooms
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sauce, water, garlic and oregano.24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce, 3½ cups water, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Layer pasta, sausage crumbles, pepperoni and mushrooms in the pan.16 oz. rotini or similar pasta, 1 lb. Italian sausage, 4 oz. pepperoni, 1 cup sautéed mushrooms
- Pour sauce mixture over pasta. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove foil. Most of the liquid should be absorbed and the pasta should be almost al dente. If there are any dry looking spots, give the pasta a stir.
- Sprinkle cheese over the pasta and return to the oven, uncovered, for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.2 cups shredded mozzarella
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Andrea Nine
Wednesday 29th of September 2021
Oooh the boys would love this. Looks delicious!
Carlee
Wednesday 29th of September 2021
The prep is so easy too! Thanks, Andrea!