Recipe Background
When not just any old pizza will do, you need more options! The flavors run deep enough in this Deep-Dish Pizza Casserole to have you end up cancelling that take-out order you placed. You don't have to be a pizzaiolo to create this "pizza-rific" masterpiece either. The twirling flavors from the rich tomato sauce, spicy sausage, and al dente rigatoni, all topped off with smoky pepperoni and smooth mozzarella, will be all you need to cancel the call. This dish is deep in flavor and easy on your budget. The next time that pizza craving hits and you are wanting a little more for your money, deliver yourself the best of the best with Deep-Dish Pizza Casserole. New York and Chicago have nothing on you!
When not just any old pizza will do, you need more options! The flavors run deep enough in this Deep-Dish Pizza Casserole to have you end up cancelling that take-out order you placed. You don't have to be a pizzaiolo to create this "pizza-rific" masterpiece either. The twirling flavors from the rich tomato sauce, spicy sausage, and al dente rigatoni, all topped off with smoky pepperoni and smooth mozzarella, will be all you need to cancel the call. This dish is deep in flavor and easy on your budget. The next time that pizza craving hits and you are wanting a little more for your money, deliver yourself the best of the best with Deep-Dish Pizza Casserole. New York and Chicago have nothing on you!
Ingredients
- 1 (1-pound) package ground mild Italian sausage
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 medium red onion chopped
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 (8-ounce) package baby portobello mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup black olives sliced
- 1/2 cup pepperoni slices chopped
- 1 (16-ounce) package rigatoni pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups fresh mozzarella shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 (8-ounce) package mozzarella cheese shredded
- 8-10 pepperoni slices
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage and the garlic in the oil, while crumbling it, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked Italian sausage to drain on a paper-towel-lined plate and then transfer it to a medium bowl. Reserve the drippings in the skillet.
- Add the marinara sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the sausage and stir to combine.
- In the empty skillet, add the red onions, the red bell peppers, the green bell peppers, and the baby portobello mushrooms slices and sauté, until they are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the olives and the chopped pepperoni into the onion mixture.
- Transfer 1/4 of the cooked onion mixture to a small bowl.
- While the sausage and onion mixtures are cooking, in a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the rigatoni to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter.
- Add the flour to the butter and whisk until it is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk the half-and-half into the flour mixture, over medium heat, and cook until it thickens and is bubbly, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the fresh mozzarella cheese, the parmesan cheese, the black pepper, and the remaining salt to the sauce mixture and mix to combine.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the rigatoni pasta and stir to coat.
- Add the onion mixture to the pasta mixture and mix well.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Top the pasta mixture with the sausage mixture, the packaged mozzarella cheese, the reserved onion mixture, and the pepperoni slices.
- Bake the casserole until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
- Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes.
- Serve.
×