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A baked dish made to look like a pepperoni pizza.

What we love about this pizzaiolo pasta

  • What’s not to love here? This dish is pizza and pasta melted together by gooey mozzarella cheese. The fusion of pizza and pasta come together wonderfully, this is a fun and unique dish that everyone will love. Plus, you only need one pot for this recipe!
  • Pizza night just got a whole lot better and more fun – regardless of who is joining you for it. We love how family friendly this dish is but you can also make it a bit more sophisticated by adding some diced artichokes to the sauce or a few dollops of ricotta cheese to the top before serving.
A couple plates of pizzaiolo pasta, next to a dutch oven full of the baked dish.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

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Kitchen tools

Ingredients you might need to pick up

  • Pepperoni – Feel free to use a cooked sausage in its place if you prefer a sausage pizza. Alternatively, you can use any pizza toppings in place of the pepperoni – just make sure to keep the measurements the same.
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Mozzarella cheese – You will want a low moisture, shredded mozzarella cheese for this recipe.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Close up of pizzaolo pasta in a dutch oven topped with pepperoni.
A serving of pasta on a plate with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.

How to make pizzaiolo pasta

Saute the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Sauté onions and garlic until onions are translucent, then stir in remaining ingredients (except pepperoni and mozzarella cheese).

Boil the pasta. Cover and simmer until pasta is almost al denté – just a minute or two shy of the recommended time. Stir in pepperoni and top with mozzarella cheese and the remaining whole pepperoni – arranging to look like a pepperoni pizza.

Bake the dish. Place uncovered dish in a 350˚F oven, baking until golden and bubbly, or about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Pizzaiolo pasta in a shallow dutch oven with melted cheese and pepperoni.

Everything you need to know about this baked pizza pasta

What is the meaning of pizzaiola?

Pizzaiolo is an Italian word that refers to a pizza maker or pizza chef. This same term has been used to describe a style of cooking or any dish that incorporates ingredients that would normally be found on pizza. Pizzaiolo pasta is a pasta dish made in the style of a pizza.

What is pizzaiola sauce made of?

This is a term that means pizza sauce, which as you probably already assumed is a tomato sauce seasoned with Italian seasonings. The basic ingredients should consist of tomato sauce, garlic, herbs, salt and sometimes crushed red peppers.

What’s the difference between pizza sauce and pasta sauce?

The main difference between the two sauces is whether or not you cook the sauce. A traditional pizza sauce will not be cooked, since it will cook in the baking process. Pasta sauce is typically simmered for a period of time to help develop the depth of flavor the sauce has to offer.

Close up of a spoonful of penne pasta in a tomato sauce with mozzarella and pepperoni.

More baked pasta recipes you will love

Other Italian inspired recipes you should try

A shallow dutch oven with baked penne topped with melted cheese and pepperoni in a tomato sauce.

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Pizzaiolo Pasta

We’ve combined two beloved Italian dishes—pizza and pasta—creating an extra-cheesy, wonderfully zesty baked dish with our pizzaiolo pasta. This flavorful, one-pot pasta is an instant family favorite that’s easy on cleanup. Customize it with your family’s favorite pizza toppings for a fun twist on pizza night!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3-4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 1 16 ounce package penne pasta
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup water
  • 24 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½ tablespoon dried basil
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 cup pepperoni (roughly chopped – reserving 10-12 for topping)
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350˚F.
  • In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté garlic and onions until onions are translucent then add remaining ingredients, except pepperoni and mozzarella.
  • Cover and bring contents of dutch oven to a boil, over medium high heat. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove from heat and sprinkle mozzarella cheese and top with reserved pepperoni. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 468kcal Carbohydrates: 56g Protein: 20g Fat: 19g Saturated Fat: 7g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 0.2g Cholesterol: 41mg Sodium: 1039mg Potassium: 537mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 8g Vitamin A: 467IU Vitamin C: 9mg Calcium: 242mg Iron: 3mg

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