Need a quick and easy dinner idea for kids? Y’all, this pizza pasta recipe is delicious and a huge family pleaser at dinner. This is a family favorite meal and your whole family will enjoy this pizza pasta dish. The other thing I love about this easy dinner idea is that you can customize it to your family’s picky tastes: add pizza sauce, green peppers, all of your favorite pizza toppings, and Italian seasoning.

One pot pizza pasta ready to serve in a cast iron skillet with the text - One Pot Pizza Pasta — Yum! Let’s make one pot pizza pasta for dinner!

Pizza Pasta Recipe is Kid Favorite Dinner

Sometimes coming up with an easy dinner idea that kids will eat is a challenge. That is where this one pot pizza pasta recipe comes to the rescue! When it comes to easy dinner ideas for kids, pasta and pizza often come to mind.

This dinner idea is super quick and easy to make. In fact, you can have it ready to serve in about 20 minutes. It is a yummy combination of flavors and textures that combine the flavors you love in pizza with the textures you love in pasta. Pizza pasta dinner is super easy to cook…dump everything in! And doubly easy to clean up…just one pot! I do love one pot meals…less washing!

Related: 21 Delicious and Easy Kid-Friendly Make Ahead Meals for Busy Evenings & Easy Kids Pasta Salad

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How to Make One Pot Pizza Pasta Recipe

Ingredients you'll need for one pot pizza pasta - shown on kitchen counter — Be sure you use a skillet that is oven safe like a cast iron skillet since we will put it in the oven for last step.

Ingredients You Need To Make Pizza Pasta Recipe:

1/2 pound Italian Sausage, without the casing
1 cup Pepperoni
20-25 ounces Pasta Sauce (I used Classico)
10 ounces Rigatoni pasta
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parsley, chopped for garnish
1 1/2 cups Water

How To Make This Delicious Pizza Pasta Recipe for Dinner

Step 1

Over medium heat, heat up the olive oil and cook the Italian Sausage until it looks like a crumble.

Step 2

This takes about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Remove from the heat.

Step 4

Ingredients in a cast iron skillet ready to put on the burner to cook. — The pasta will cook right in the pan!

Add rest of the ingredients except cheese and parsley. This is the fun part!

Add the water
Add pasta sauce
Add 1/2 of the pepperoni
Add dry pasta
and add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Remember the pasta is not cooked for this step — it will cook in the skillet with everything else.

Step 5

Mix completely and put back on the stove on medium heat.

Step 6

You will bring the skillet to a boil. Reduce heat to allow for a simmer, cover and leave alone for about 12-13 minutes until the pasta is cooked.

Step 7

Again keep in mind not to over-cook the pasta because it will cook a bit in the oven when you melt the cheese.

Step 8

Add rest of pepperoni and top with cheese.

Step 9

Once the pasta is done, remove from heat and add your toppings.

Step 10

Start with a layer of pepperoni and top it off with all of your shredded mozzarella cheese.

Step 11

Put in the oven for just 2 minutes on the top shelf set on the “broil” setting until the cheese is melted.

A fork full of pizza pasta with cheese on the top. — You can top this one pan pizza pasta with whatever toppings your family will like.

Step 12

Add a little chopped parsley for color and serve.

Step 13

We put the skillet on our dining room table and served right from the pan.

A finished pan of one pot pizza pasta. — Serve this one pan dinner straight out of the pan to make for quick and easy clean-up.

Step 14

You can serve with a veggie or some french bread.

But like pizza, your kids will love this dish as their complete meal!

Notes:

Add all your favorite toppings to your pizza pasta recipe. You can use black olives, turkey pepperoni, mini pepperonis, red pepper flakes, use tomato sauce or marinara sauce. This comfort food is yours, make it your own!

How To Store Your Pizza Pasta

Have leftover pizza pasta bake? My family loves the tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, and toppings so much we rarely have leftovers. It’s kind of our pizza night.

But if you do have some pizza casserole leftover, let it cool off to room temperature and then put it in an airtight container. It keeps well in the fridge for 3 days.

Yield: 6

One Pot Pizza Pasta Recipe

Name: One Pot Pizza Pasta Recipe
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients: 1/2 pound Italian Sausage, without the casing; 1 cup Pepperoni; 20-25 ounces Pasta Sauce (I used Classico); 10 ounces Rigatoni pasta; 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded; Salt & Pepper to taste; Parsley, chopped for garnish; 1 1/2 cups Water

Save time cooking and cleaning up with this quick and delicious one pot pizza pasta recipe. Your family will love it!

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 pound Italian Sausage, without the casing
1 cup Pepperoni
20-25 ounces Pasta Sauce (I used Classico)
10 ounces Rigatoni pasta
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parsley, chopped for garnish
1 1/2 cups Water

Instructions

STEP 1: OVER MEDIUM HEAT, HEAT UP THE OLIVE OIL AND COOK THE ITALIAN SAUSAGE UNTIL IT LOOKS LIKE A CRUMBLE. THIS TAKES ABOUT 5 MINUTES.

Remove from the heat.

STEP 2: ADD REST OF THE INGREDIENTS EXCEPT CHEESE AND PARSLEY.

This is the fun part! Add the water, pasta sauce, 1/2 of the pepperoni, dry pasta and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Remember the pasta is not cooked for this step — it will cook in the skillet with everything else.

Mix completely and put back on the stove on medium heat.

Bring the skillet to a boil. Reduce heat to allow for a simmer, cover and leave alone for about 12-13 minutes until the past is cooked.

Again keep in mind not to over-cook the pasta because it will cook a bit in the oven when you melt the cheese.