If you love pasta and pizza, this crowd-pleasing casserole is for you!
Using spaghetti to make a crust, this casserole is assembled like a pizza. Layers of Italian sausage, pasta sauce, cheese, and pepperoni baked till golden make for a savory meal even the pickiest eaters will love.
It all comes together with basic pantry staples like boxed spaghetti, jarred pasta sauce, and pre-shredded cheese, helping to save on prep time. The whole thing takes just over an hour, but most of that is bake time.
As we often do, we made some adjustments to the original recipe. Instead of adding the cooked spaghetti directly to the baking dish, we add an egg and some Parmesan cheese to the spaghetti first. It acts as a binder and helps the “crust” stay together better. Plus, it adds more flavor.
Also, crisping the turkey pepperoni in a little fat from the sausage helps it brown nicely and keeps it from being too dry. (Side note: using turkey pepperoni instead of regular pepperoni ensures your dish won’t be swimming in grease.)
As for sausage, hot or mild Italian sausage both work. We prefer hot, but that’s entirely a matter of taste. And feel free to add other pizza topping favorites, like mushrooms and peppers. Just be sure to pre-cook any veggies to reduce the amount of liquid that ends up in your casserole. You also may need to bake the casserole a bit longer if you add more toppings.
Have fun experimenting with this dish. It’s a favorite in our house and consistently gets 5-star reviews from friends and family!
Love the taste of Italian food? Try our recipe for Gnocchi with Chard and Italian Sausage, too!
Pizza Spaghetti Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 oz. spaghetti uncooked
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
- 2 oz. turkey pepperoni slices about 30
- 26 oz. jar tomato-and-basil pasta sauce
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz. package shredded Italian three-cheese blend
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, till just al dente. Drain well, and allow to cool slightly (it should be warm, but not hot – see note).
- Place the warm spaghetti in a large bowl and add the beaten egg and Parmesan cheese. Mix well, ensuring the spaghetti is evenly coated with egg and cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, creating an even layer of spaghetti on the bottom and working some up the sides slightly.
- In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium-high heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Drain excess grease from the skillet and add the pepperoni. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly crisp.
- To assemble the casserole, top the spaghetti crust with the sausage, then pour the pasta sauce over the sausage. Next, arrange half of the pepperoni slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the cheeses and top with the remaining pepperoni slices.
- Bake at 350° F for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to brown.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
- Allowing the spaghetti to cool ensures it won’t cook the egg added to it in the next step. If the pasta is too hot, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs!