One-Pot Pizza Pasta (Printable Version)

Fast and flavorful one-pot pasta combining marinara, mozzarella, and classic pizza toppings in 15 minutes.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rotini)

→ Sauce

02 - 24 oz jar marinara sauce
03 - 1/2 cup water

→ Cheese

04 - 2 cups pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 1/2 cup pre-shredded Parmesan cheese

→ Toppings

06 - 1/2 cup sliced black olives
07 - 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni (optional)
08 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
09 - 1/2 bell pepper, diced
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1/2 tsp dried basil
12 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Preparation Steps:

01 - In a large, deep skillet or pot, place pasta, marinara sauce, and water. Stir to blend thoroughly.
02 - Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, then lower to medium. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is nearly tender.
03 - Stir in black olives, pepperoni if using, red onion, and bell pepper. Continue cooking uncovered for 2 minutes until vegetables soften and pasta reaches al dente texture.
04 - Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top. Cover again and cook 1 to 2 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
05 - Add dried oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes exactly like pizza but without the dough drama or oven wait time.
  • Everything cooks in one pot, so cleanup is a single soapy skillet instead of a countertop crime scene.
  • You can sneak in vegetables without anyone noticing because theyre disguised as pizza toppings.
  • It comes together faster than delivery and costs half as much.
02 -
  • Dont skip the water—it thins the sauce just enough so the pasta actually cooks instead of scorching to the bottom of the pan.
  • Stir the pasta a few times while it simmers or youll end up with clumps stuck together like a pasta brick.
  • If the cheese isnt melting evenly, leave the lid on a little longer and turn off the heat so it steams instead of overcooking the pasta.
  • Taste the pasta before adding the cheese because once its covered, you cant fix underseasoned sauce without stirring everything into a messy swirl.
03 -
  • Use a deep skillet or Dutch oven so the pasta has room to move and cook evenly without boiling over.
  • If the sauce looks too thick while simmering, add a few tablespoons of water at a time until it loosens up.
  • Let the cheese sit undisturbed for a full minute after covering so it melts into a smooth layer instead of breaking into oily clumps.
  • Taste and adjust the seasonings at the very end because jarred sauces vary wildly in salt and spice levels.
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