Description
This Crock Pot Pizza Pasta combines hearty Italian sausage, zesty pepperoni, and a rich tomato sauce layered with melted mozzarella cheese all cooked slowly in a crock pot for a comforting and easy weeknight meal loved by the whole family.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 3 cups dry rotini pasta
Meat & Vegetables
- 1 pound sweet mild Italian sausage
- 1 cup green pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
- 4 ounces fresh sliced button mushrooms
- ½ cup diced sweet yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Cooking & Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 24 ounce jarred spaghetti sauce
- ¼ cup water
Dairy & Toppings
- 16 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese (divided: 1 ½ cups for 1st layer, 1 ½ cups for 2nd layer, 1 cup for topping)
- 6 ounce package sliced pepperoni
Garnish
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a 5 to 6 quart pan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the dry rotini pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
- Cook Sausage and Vegetables: In a deep 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add the Italian sausage, green peppers, diced onion, sliced mushrooms, minced garlic, and olive oil. Stir often to break the sausage up as it cooks for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables are softened.
- Season Meat Mixture: Lower heat to medium low and stir in the Italian seasoning into the sausage and vegetables mixture.
- Add Sauce: Add the jarred spaghetti sauce to the skillet. Pour ¼ cup water into the sauce jar, shake to incorporate any remaining sauce inside, and add that as well. Stir and allow the sauce to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked rotini pasta to the skillet and stir thoroughly to coat all the pasta with the sauce.
- Prepare Crock Pot: Spray a 6 to 7 quart crock pot with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Layer Ingredients: Place half of the pasta and sauce into the crock pot. Sprinkle 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the pasta. Arrange half of the sliced pepperoni over the cheese. Repeat with the remaining pasta, 1 ½ cups of cheese, and the remaining pepperoni.
- Cook: Cover with the crock pot lid and cook on low heat for 3 ½ hours.
- Add Final Cheese Layer: After 3 ½ hours, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the pepperoni. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Garnish and Serve: Just before serving, garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot and enjoy your comforting Crock Pot Pizza Pasta.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze the cooked dish for up to 1 month in freezer-safe containers, either individually portioned or as a full batch.
- Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Note that pasta texture may slightly change after freezing and thawing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
