Pizza Casserole

Our deliciously hearty pizza casserole will be kids of all ages will race to the dinner table when this is on the menu! Ooey-gooey, cheese YUM!

📝 Ingredients

• 12 ounces mini penne
• salt and black pepper
• 1 pound Italian sausage (casing removed)
• 1 cup onion, (chopped)
• 1 medium green bell pepper, (seed + ribs removed + chopped)
• 3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, (optional)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 (14-ounce) jars pizza sauce
• 1 can sliced mushrooms, (rinsed and well drained)
• 3 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, (shredded + DIVIDED)
• 1/2 cup, fresh basil, (julienned (optional))
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, (shredded )
• 15 slices sliced pepperoni
• 1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced olives, (rinsed and well drained + DIVIDED )

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Arrange an oven rack to the lower third position. Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spray one side of aluminum foil, cut long enough to cover the baking dish, with nonstick cooking spray. Set both aside.
2. 2Cook pasta (12 ounces) according to box instructions with 2 tablespoons salt added to the water. Dry pasta pot.
3. 3In a 12-inch skillet, cook and crumble the sausage (1 pound) until there's no longer any pink. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave drippings in the skillet.
4. 4Add the onion (1 cup) and green pepper (1) to the sausage drippings and sauté, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, about 7-9 minutes.
5. 5Add Italian seasoning (3 teaspoons), dried rosemary (1 teaspoon), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, red pepper flakes (1/2 teaspoon), garlic (1 tablespoon), and continue to sauté, stirring often to garlic doesn't burn, until fragrant, about 1-2 minute.
6. 6To the empty pasta pot, add cooked pasta, browned Italian sausage, cooked vegetables, pizza sauce (3 jars), mushrooms (1 can), olive, 2 cups of mozzarella, and basil (1/2 cup). Stir until evenly combined and pasta is evenly coated with sauce.
7. 7Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. cover with foil, nonstick spray side down. Bake in preheated oven, on arranged shelf for 35 minutes.
8. 8Remove from oven and discard foil. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over top of casserole then sprinkle remaining. Arrange pepperoni slices (15 slices) decoratively on top of mozzarella. Arrange the second can of olives on top of the olives over the pepperoni. Sprinkle 1/2 parmesan on the very top.
9. 9Return to oven and bake, uncovered, until casserole is bubbly and cheese is melted and golden brown, about 16-20 minutes.