Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Italian Pizza Casserole


Ingredients
·      3 cups uncooked ziti noodles
·      1 pound ground sausage

·      1 onion, chopped

·      1 green bell pepper, chopped

·      3 cloves garlic, minced

·      2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce

·      1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano

·      1 (3-ounce) package sliced pepperoni, chopped

·      1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

·      1 1/2 cups quartered fresh mushrooms

·      1 tablespoon dried parsley 

·      1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt

·      1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

·      2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.
In a large skillet, cook sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic over medium heat until sausage is browned and crumbly; drain well.
Spoon sausage mixture into a large bowl. Stir in tomato sauce, tomatoes, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Add cooked ziti, tossing gently to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbly