Change up your weekly pizza-rut with this amazing pasta alternative! This Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Pasta is deliciously simple and an absolute family-favorite! Made in just 20 minutes and in one dish, this pasta option is filling and full of all the right flavors! Bonus: with only 7 ingredients and one pan, clean up with take no time at all!

We sure do love pizza in our house so there are rarely complaints when a pepperoni pie is served. However, I felt like we needed to spice things up a bit and that a slight change was needed. This meat-loves pizza pasta is delicious, easy, and just what we needed. The sausage and pepperoni give the meal create a hearty portion in every bowl and the flavors all marry together to be so reminiscent of a traditional pizza! No one in the family is ever sad to see this placed before them on weekday nights.

What type of pasta can I use?

In this specific recipe, I use penne pasta. This specific pasta is used for how I came up with the ratio of water and pasta sauce needed. You can substitute in a rigatoni or a pasta that is of similar size. If you try to sub in a pasta that needs less cook time or is too thin, you run the risk of the pasta being too watery. Try to stick to a penne if you can help it!

Can I use pizza sauce instead of pasta sauce?

You can, with some modification. A good thing to know is that pasta sauce typically has a lot more flavor than a traditional pizza sauce. It is also a little thicker. If you would like to substitute in pizza sauce, you will need to also add the flavors you’d like: Italian seasoning, fresh herbs, garlic, fresh herbs… really anything you would like!

Ingredients for our Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Pasta:

• Sausage
• Fresh Onion
• Pepperoni
• Tomato-basil pasta sauce
• Penne pasta
• Italian cheese

How to make our Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Pasta:

Place a large skillet on the stove and turn burner to medium-high heat. Add sausage to the pan and break up for even cooking. Next, add diced onions to the sausage and cook together until full cooked – about 8 minutes.

Once sausage is completely cooked, slowly add in the pepperoni, pasta sauce, and water. Stir until all ingredients are fully combined.

Slowly pour the raw penne pasta shells and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 12 minutes. Cooking is done when all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is soft.

Turn heat off and stir in all the shredded cheese. Serve right away and enjoy!

When dinner is both easy and delicious, it’s a home run in our house. I refuse to make multiple meals – what I make is what you get. I ALSO hate complaining when dinner isn’t something they like. There is none of that with this pizza pasta. I love to pair it with this Delicious Garlic Bread or eat it with our yummy Walnut Spinach Salad as an appetizer. Enjoy those delicious pizza flavors in a whole new way tonight!

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