Pizza Pasta, or baked Fusilli with sausage and mozzarella, can be made faster than ordering a pizza, and is much better! Throw together a casserole of half-cooked pasta with some cooked Italian sausage, and globs of fresh mozzarella. Add any other toppings of your choice and a jar of Marinara sauce or canned San Marzano tomatoes. Bake for 30 minutes. Watch the video to see how easy and fast this comes together.
Pizza Pasta (Baked Fusilli with Sausage and Fresh Mozzarella)
This Pizza Pasta, or baked Fusilli with Sausage and Mozzarella casserole, is faster and better than ordering a pizza for delivery!
Servings 6 -8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound Fusilli pasta
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 pound of mild Italian sausage bulk or links
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella diced in 1 inch chunks
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese divided
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 jar 15 ounces of Marinara sauce
- Additional optional toppings such as artichoke hearts, olives, cooked mushrooms
Instructions
- Add pasta and salt to a large stockpot of boiling water and cook for 8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Drain and place in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
- While the pasta is cooking, remove the sausage from the casing (if links) and crumble the sausage in a skillet on the stove until browned and cooked through.
- Add the sausage, mozzarella cheeses, marinara sauce, basil. Add any other toppings at this point. Mix until well combined. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly on the top.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes or until the top is brown and the sauce is bubbling.
- Serve immediately.
Nik
Poor Fran has never made tasty pasta. Oh well. I agree with you, Cara--gotta get your pasta water salty! Thank you for the recipe--I plan on making it tonight!
Fran
This cannot be right. 1 TABLESPOON OF SALT; No wonder there aren't any comments! This s surely a mistake!
Cara Kretz
Thanks for the note Fran. Actually, 1 Tablespoon is correct. Pasta needs more salt in the boiling water in order for some to penetrate the outer layer and add flavor to the pasta. As old saying is that pasta water should be as salty as the sea. Using a small amount, such as a teaspoon, does not do anything and is really just a waste of salt. Hope this helps. Best, Cara