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My Pizza Pasta Recipe is an easy dinner that’s family-friendly, fast and delicious! It’s a one-pot pasta recipe that take 30 minutes to make with just 5 ingredients! This simple pasta dinner is great for busy weeknights – plus you can customize it with your favorite pizza toppings.

overhead photo showing pasta in blue pot with pizza toppings


Easy Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Recipe

This recipe is pizza and pasta turned into a one-pot dinner that takes 30 minutes to make. It’s pretty simple – take your favorite pizza toppings, some sauce and pasta and you get a comforting dish that combines two favorite dinners. It’s easy, has tons of flavor, and tastes like pizza!

When times get busy this is the recipe to have one hand – it will take away all of that dinnertime pressure. It’s family-friendly, fast, and satisfying. Plus, the clean-up is a breeze – you only need one pot!

ingredients in pizza pasta on counter.

Ingredients in Pizza Pasta

  • Pasta: Use your favorite shape, I love using Rotini pasta because it catches all the sauce in the grooves, but penne pasta works great too.
  • Pizza Sauce: Making pasta with pizza sauce is such a fun twist, you can use my recipe or a jar. Or use your favorite spaghetti sauce.
  • Cheese: Pizza uses shredded mozzarella cheese – shred your own for best melting!
  • Toppings: Leave it plain cheese or use your favorite pizza toppings.

Topping Ideas

What I love about this simple pasta recipe is that you can customize it with your favorite pizza toppings. We love pepperoni and olives, but you can use pretty much whatever you like! To make it really easy, use toppings that are already cooked, like:

  • Olives or Mushrooms
  • Pepperoni
  • Cooked Italian sausage
  • Leftover shredded chicken
  • Green Peppers, onions or other veggies

How to make Pizza Pasta in one pot

  1. Boil the pasta and reserve one cup of the pasta water before you drain it.
  2. In the same pot (after you drain the pasta), combine the pizza sauce and pasta water and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and stir to coat it in the sauce.
  3. Top the pasta mixture with the cheese and your toppings. Lower the heat, cover the pan and once the cheese is melted the pasta is ready to serve.

Can I use pizza sauce for pasta?

I like to use my pizza sauce for this, but you can also use marinara sauce if that’s what you have on hand. What’s the difference? Pizza sauce is usually thicker than marinara sauce and made with just tomatoes, onion and garlic. 

Since pizza sauce is thicker, I add the pasta water to thin it out. If you substitute marinara or other tomato pasta sauce you may want to reduce or eliminate the pasta water – otherwise your pasta might be too watery.

photo showing pasta in blue pot with pizza toppings

Expert Tips

  • Bring the water to a rolling boiling before adding the pasta. You can also salt the water, but this is optional.
  • Boil the pasta until it’s al dente, which just means that it’s fully cooked but still firm. You don’t want to over cook pasta otherwise it will turn mushy.
  • Serve this with parmesan cheese on top – we love extra cheese.
  • This recipe is a 30 minute version of my pizza pasta casserole and a hot version of my pizza pasta salad!

FAQ

How to store pizza pasta

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze pizza pasta?

Freeze it in an airtight container for up to a month. If you know you’ll be freezing it I recommend cooking the pasta al dente so it doesn’t become mushy when thawed.

Easy pizza pasta

One Pot Pizza Pasta

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Easy, cheesy one pot pizza pasta! This will feed even the pickiest of eaters. This simple pasta recipe with cheese and pizza toppings is a perfect weeknight meal.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 4 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 12 ounces Rotini Pasta or your favorite kind of pasta
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • Pizza toppings: pepperoni, olives, etc.
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Instructions

  • Boil water for pasta in a large (at least 3 quart) saucepan. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve one cup pasta cooking water and set aside, drain remaining pasta.
  • While you’re draining the pasta, place the pizza sauce and reserved pasta water in the pan and heat until simmering. Add pasta back into pot and toss to combine.
  • Top with cheese and desired pizza toppings. Turn heat to low and cover just until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Recipe Video

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 589mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 549IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Other 30 Minute Meals

Easy, cheesy one pot pizza pasta! This will feed even the pickiest of eaters. This simple pasta recipe with cheese and pizza toppings is a perfect weeknight meal.



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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