Name: Cheesy Pizza Pasta Casserole {dairy-free}
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 8 ounces penne pasta; 1 Tablespoon olive oil; 1 small yellow onion (sliced thin); 1 medium red bell pepper (sliced into thin strips); 1 cup pizza sauce; 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk (substitute cream cheese if you do not need dairy-free); 1/3 cup un-cured pepperoni slices (sliced in half); 1/4 cup sliced olives; 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano or Italian parsley (chopped); 1 Tablespoon dairy-free Parmesan cheese; 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional); 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used veggie shreds)

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Cassi will be home in one more month!!! {insert happy dance}. I am excited for her return, and a little bit nervous about meeting a new daughter. The Cassi that left Iowa last year has grown and changed, and I am pretty sure she is a lot more independent! Just think about being 18 years old and traveling around Europe with your friends, with no supervision (remember the blue kamikazes?)

The Cassi that left here was a picky eater, not the worst, but she refused to eat certain things. She would not eat fish, Mexican food, or anything with spices, but now she does. The moms in Europe put food on your plate, and you eat it with no questions asked! Now that I know the secret, I can make whatever I want and make her eat it…like this Cheesy Pizza Pasta Casserole! 🙂

One thing that has not changed…..

Cassi’s love of McDonald’s french fries! It is nice to find familiar food when you are traveling:)

Cheesy Pizza Pasta Casserole is one of the dishes that last year’s Cassi would not have eaten. It has pepperoni and bell peppers…..the horror! She does like pizza, so this one is definitely going to be in rotation. Alex and I could not stop eating it. Some leftovers go into the refrigerator and never see the light of day again, but not this one.

How to make dairy-free Cheesy Pizza Pasta Casserole:

The first change that I made was the cream cheese…..not gonna happen! I substituted canned coconut milk…..

then I used veggie shreds mozzarella cheese which I apparently keep forgetting to get a picture of, but you get the idea. I topped the whole thing off with dairy-free Parmesan cheese…..

Boil pasta as per package directions, then drain and set aside.

In a skillet, saute onions and pepper in olive oil over medium-high heat.

Place pizza sauce in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat.

Add the coconut milk and stir.

Add the drained noodles, onion, pepper and pepperoni.

Pour half of the noodle mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish.

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the noodle mixture.

Cover with remaining noodles mixture. Cover with remaining cheese.

Sprinkle olives and oregano/parsley over the cheese.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper (if using).

Turn on oven broiler. Place casserole dish on the bottom rack of the oven. Allow to broil until the cheese is melted.

So, so delicious!

More pizza inspired recipes:

Instant Pot Pepperoni Pizza Meatloaf

Meat Lover’s Pizza Rolls – like Italian egg rolls!

Pepperoni Pizza Muffins

Bagel Pizzas

Just in case you need a Homemade Pizza Sauce recipe. 😉

Enjoy!!