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    Home » Main Course » Pasta

    Pizza Pasta

    Published: Jul 2, 2013 · Modified: Feb 5, 2022 by Kim Beaulieu · This post may contain affiliate links

    3.3K shares
    • 41
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy pizza pasta recipe is always a hit with family and friends. It's quick, easy and perfect for weekdays or weekends. Whip up a giant batch today!

    easy pizza pasta cooked in a red dutch oven

    Okay I need to be honest with you here.

    I love a good picnic. But...

    I'm a hot food kind of gal. I'm not saying I never eat cold food but given the choice I almost always opt for hot cold, including pastas. I have a tried and true cold one I bring to picnics. Everyone loves it, including me. But typically you'll find me hovering by the hot section of any picnic or potluck. I like my food hot and my desserts cold. Unless the dessert is cobbler, then it has to be hot.

    Okay clearly I'm just proving I have some serious hang-ups and rules about which foods should be hot and which should be cold. But seriously people, there are rules about these things. <clearly I've got some problems

    Nowadays you can get away with bringing hot food to picnics. Technology makes it easy. I have a mini fridge I can plug into my car to keep food cold.

    What's unique and sort of cool about this "fridge" is it also has an option to keep food warm. You just flip the plug around and "voila" you've got a little heater for your food. Genius invention if you ask me. It means people like me, also known as hot food addicts, can always keep their rules, options open.

    I also have a couple of those cast iron dutch ovens. If you don't have one I'm telling you now you need to invest in one, or three. Here's the cool thing about them. If you want to bring food to a picnic or potluck party these bad boys will keep your food warm for quite some time. The cast iron retains heat like no one's business. You can warm this up before you go and if the picnic is within 30 to 60 minutes of you this thing is going to stay warm. I love using them for picnics.

    Now here's another really cool factoid about cast iron, it also keeps cold for a long time. Last year when we threw a surprise party for B-Dude out at Point Pelee we needed to keep certain foods cold.

    So here's a trick for you. Pop a few of these cast iron beauties in the freezer for about an hour, take them out and you can pop in things like cold pastas and salads. Slap the lid on it and you've got cold food for up to 2 hours. I know right. It's a cool trick.

    Another trick we used for cold dishes is buying extra tinfoil pans. You can pop bowls of things like dips and veggies in the pan, then pour ice inside the pan. Your dip and veggies will stay cold for eons like this.

    We keep a large tote filled with various sizes of them and pull them out whenever we head out to Point Pelee. It's a great way to keep food cold so you don't have to hover. You want to spend time with people, not babysit the food.

    There's also insulated covers nowadays for casserole pans. Genius idea right. Those things work beautifully for picnics.

    As do pizza sleeves. If you're lucky, and slightly charming, you might be able to talk your local pizza place into giving you one of theirs. Not that anyone here has ever flirted for some extra pizza sleeves or anything. That would be wrong!

    So long story, well, getting longer, keep your pasta hot. Just like your pool boys!

    easy pizza pasta cooked in a red dutch oven with loads of cheese on pasta

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    easy pizza pasta cooked in a red dutch oven
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    Pizza Pasta

    This easy pizza pasta recipe is always a hit with family and friends. It's quick, easy and perfect for weekdays or weekends. Whip up a giant batch today!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Pasta
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Servings 8

    Ingredients

    • 12 cups of cooked pasta I used rotini (reserve some pasta water when draining)
    • 3 jars of pasta sauce homemade or store-bought
    • ¼ to ½ cup pasta water
    • 2 cups chopped pepperoni more if you like
    • 2 cups green peppers diced
    • 2 cups mozzarella cheese grated

    Instructions

    • Preheat over to 400 degrees F.
    • Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil, salt the water generously, and drop in the pasta. Cook for about 8 minutes, or according to the directions on the package, minus 1 minute.
    • Reserve about a cup of pasta water. Then drain (but do NOT rinse) pasta.
    • Pop the pasta into a large dutch oven. Place on stove top and turn the burner on a medium heat.
    • Add your pasta sauce, pepperoni, green peppers into the dutch oven and give it a good stir. Add about half the pasta water and continue to cook and stir until the pasta comes together. If you need more water to help bind everything together add it now.
    • Remove from heat.
    • Toss cheese over top.
    • Pop the dutch oven in a preheated oven long enough to melt the cheese. It will take about 15 to 20 minutes.
    • Remove from oven and place lid over top to keep warm.
    • Head wherever you're going for you picnic.
    • Serve with a big old I love Hot Pasta smile!

    Notes

    You could swap out parmesan for the mozzarella, or use both! You can add in any other pizza items you want, salami, sausage, onions, peppers of any type, veggies. It's a versatile dish.

    close up image of pizza pasta in red dutch oven with a spoonful of pasta scooped out

    This post is part of our Virtual tPicnic:

    • Mother Thyme
      Cook the Story
      It's Yummilicious
      White Lights on Wednesday
      {i love} my disorganized life
      Jane's Adventures in Dinner
      Sweet Remedy
      Big Bear's Wife
      Kokocooks
      Katie's Cucina
      The Tasty Fork

    Thanks for visiting today!

    If you’re looking for more dinner recipes be sure to check out my recipe index. You can also find a lot more pasta recipes as well.

    Be sure to follow me on Pinterest while you’re here. I love pinning great recipes! Also, make sure you follow me on Instagram. It’s a great way to stay up to date with the blog.

    Toodles! xx

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    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nessa

      July 03, 2013 at 8:06 am

      Pizza and pasta?! It's the best of both worlds 🙂

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:10 am

        Ha, I know right. It's so good.

        Reply
    2. Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers

      July 03, 2013 at 8:07 am

      What a wonderful pasta dish! You can't go wrong with pizza flavored pasta! Yum!!! Looks out of this world!

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:10 am

        Thanks lady. It's super yummy. I froze a big batch too for one of those days where I just don't feel like cooking.

        Reply
    3. Kayle (The Cooking Actress)

      July 03, 2013 at 9:34 am

      I'm a hot food gal too 😉

      This pizza pasta looks soooooo tasty and I would gobble it up if I ever saw it at a picnic, so like...noone else could have it. Because it would be mine.

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:13 am

        Glad I'm not the only one.

        I pretty much scarfed like I hadn't eaten in a week. So good.

        Reply
    4. Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine)

      July 03, 2013 at 9:35 am

      I'm doing an elimination diet, so pasta and cheese is out for me, but I am DROOOOOLING over this. I looove picnic food, but sometimes I just want warm food too. Especially in my cold cold office...

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:15 am

        Oh yikes lady, sorry to tempt you. Look away woman, look away! Lol!

        Reply
    5. Jennie @themessybakerblog

      July 03, 2013 at 11:13 am

      A car fridge/warmer? Have I been living under a rock? You know I'm going to have to find and buy this immediately. Once I do, I'm going to make this damn good lookin' pasta dish and take it on a picnic with me. That's right, just me and the pasta...no one else. I'm afraid sharing isn't an option with a recipe like this.

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:20 am

        Seriously, it's wicked cool. Except the one time I took Easter Jello Eggs to my kids school and hubs put it on heat instead of cold. Let's just say they had koolaid instead of jello eggs.

        I never share. Sharing is over-rated.

        Reply
    6. movita beaucoup

      July 03, 2013 at 11:14 am

      So... I looked at those photos whilst hungry. Big mistake.

      Off to eat pasta.

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:30 am

        Ha, it's payback for all the times I've visited your site hungry woman.

        Pasta rules.

        Reply
    7. john@kitchenriffs

      July 03, 2013 at 11:40 am

      When we lived in Florida, we had a pool. Guess who used to be the pool boy? 😉 I'm OK with cold food, but I hear where you're coming from - I know lots of people who feel the same as you do. Anyway, this pizza pasta looks terrific. I'd definitely want it hot. Then straight from the refrigerator for breakfast the next day!

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:38 am

        Ha, I love it John. Not only were you the hawt pool boy but if it was Florida you were also the hot pool boy. Hilarious.

        It's so good hot and cold. And it freezes beautifully.

        Reply
    8. Kelsey @ K&K Test Kitchen

      July 03, 2013 at 12:00 pm

      Love that cast iron trick! Will have to keep it in mind 🙂

      Also drooling over this pasta! My mind is spinning with the pizza topping possibilities

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:42 am

        I know right. Works perfect for salads.

        Oh this one has so many options. You could do just about anything with it.

        Reply
    9. Colette aka Coco

      July 03, 2013 at 4:12 pm

      That looks so comforting.
      I want to dive in!

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:44 am

        Me too.

        Reply
    10. CCU

      July 03, 2013 at 6:12 pm

      I am sorry but when you combine my two favourite meals, you know that I am going to simply collapse from sheer happiness 😀
      This looks way too delicious!

      Cheers
      CCU

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:48 am

        Ha, sorry to make you fall down woman.

        Thanks lady.

        Reply
    11. Abbe@This is How I Cook

      July 04, 2013 at 12:12 am

      I love pepperocinis. And I love picnics, but don't do them often enough. You have definitely got them down! P.S. I like Dutch ovens, too!

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 2:50 am

        It's a love-fest. I love when you visit.

        Reply
    12. Anita at Hungry Couple

      July 04, 2013 at 1:35 am

      Quite frankly, I was too mesmerized by that big pool of gooey melted cheese to really pay much attention to your latest neurosis. But I will say that Brian has food temperature issues, too. I'm much more easy going about this kind of stuff...but not any other stuff. 😉

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 1:40 am

        Ha, I know right. I got a little carried away with the cheese. I just keep adding more, and more, and more.

        I swear I have so many food quirks it's amazing I can even eat. Silly.

        Reply
    13. Aurora Importing

      July 04, 2013 at 9:23 am

      I read the title and thought it was the other way around: pasta as a pizza topping. Yours is a much better idea 🙂 And hey, you can go for that picnic afterwards!

      ~Andrés

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 04, 2013 at 9:41 pm

        Ha, I may have to try that. It might be interesting.

        Reply
    14. Ramona W

      July 05, 2013 at 8:03 am

      I love when two great dishes make a love child!! This looks perfect and totally something my kids would love. 🙂

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 15, 2013 at 3:07 am

        Ha, that's hilarious. I love that.

        Reply
    15. katie

      July 09, 2013 at 11:32 am

      Oh wow Kim this pasta looks great. I agree I love hot food at picnics too!

      Reply
      • Kim Beaulieu

        July 15, 2013 at 3:07 am

        Thanks so much Katie. I am just not a cold food kind of gal. Not sure why.

        Reply

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