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Pizzaiolo Pasta is a fun, easy pasta recipe inspired by classic pizza flavors. Pasta is tossed with a rich tomato sauce spiked with garlic and dried oregano, then combined with mozzarella and crispy pepperoni and baked. It’s hearty, comforting, kid-friendly and a bit unique. Read on for more!
When I was planning out my steak pizzaiola recipe recently, a slowly-cooked beef dish in a rich tomato sugo, I recalled a Neapolitan pasta version of the dish that I hadn’t had in some time.
What is Pizzaiolo?
Pizzaiolo means “pizza maker” in Italian, referring to Italy’s amazingly talented pizza chefs. Here, it refers to a pasta dish cooked in the pizza style with the traditional flavors of pizza and pizza sauce, including tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and mozzarella.
As with many dishes, across southern Italy, you’ll see lots of variations of this recipe~some with capers, anchovies, olives, parsley and/or basil. Sometimes it’s baked, not always. Sometimes it has fresh mozzarella and sometimes it has no cheese.
In general, though, the basic sauce always includes tomatoes, oregano and garlic.
My Inspiration for this Recipe
While Naples is rightly world famous for its prized, thin crust pizza made in wood-burning ovens with “00” flour and fior di latte cheese, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and other spots along the east coast of the US have some pretty delicious pizza as well!
It’s this style of pizza that I’ve been eating my whole life that inspired my version of this recipe–hearty, thick and smooth tomato sauce, dried oregano, lots of garlic, a little crushed red pepper, shredded mozzarella and PEPPERONI!
Yes, the number one pizza topping in the US makes an unapologetic appearance in this pasta.
Pepperoni!
Pepperoni (not to be confused with peperoni (with one p), the Italian word for peppers) is signature American. First created by Italian immigrants in the early 1900s in New York City, it’s a cured sausage made of pork and beef that has been seasoned with spices like paprika, chili pepper, cayenne, black pepper and, sometimes, fennel and allspice.
Here, I’ve crisped up pepperoni slices for an interesting texture contrast to the rest of the dish. They’re then layered with shredded mozzarella and a very well-sauced pasta. The sauce is infused with both fresh and granulated garlic, dried oregano, a touch of crushed red pepper and the rendered pepperoni oil. Quite innovative, indeed!
And, I always serve this dish with some garlic powder, dried oregano, red pepper flakes and grated cheese available, just like a good east coast pizzeria!
My version of this recipe is baked, mirroring pizza as closely as possible, but you don’t have to. It’s equally as delicious unbaked!
This pasta with pepperoni and pizzaiola sauce is a kid-approved and a real crowd-pleaser! Perfect for a casual weekend get-together or anytime you’re craving pizza but want something a little different. It will have your kitchen smelling like your favorite local pizzeria. Pizza Fridays will never be the same!
Ingredients for Pizzaiolo Pasta
To make this Pizzaiola Pasta with Pepperoni recipe, we’ll need:
- Pepperoni: Use thinly sliced, mini pepperoni for this recipe. If what you have are the large pepperoni slices, I suggest quartering them into smaller pieces. When crisping the pepperoni, it renders out a good amount of oil/fat that is used to sauté the garlic, giving the sauce a pepperoni pizza flavor.
- Mozzarella: It’s best to use block mozzarella and shred it yourself on a box grater. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent to prevent clumps, but which also keeps the cheese from melting properly.
- Tomatoes: While I usually use canned whole tomatoes and just hand-crush them, the smoothness and thickness of canned pureed or crushed tomatoes works best for this recipe.
- Garlic: Finely mince the garlic so as to keep the sauce smooth and more pizza sauce-like. Use a garlic press if needed.
- Dried Oregano: Dried oregano is one of the signature pizza flavors in this recipe.
- Granulated Garlic or Garlic Powder: Though optional, I love adding a pinch of granulated garlic or garlic powder (use whichever you have) into this sauce to complement the fresh sautéed garlic. And, because it is such an iconic ingredient that is often sprinkled over traditional slices of pizza here in the New Jersey/New York/Philadelphia areas, I will have it available on the table along with dried oregano, crushed red pepper, grated cheese and spicy pepper oil for guests to sprinkle on to their plates as they please. It’s gives off a great pizzeria slice joint vibe!
- Pasta: If baking this recipe as it is written, make this dish with a short pasta, such as fusilli, ziti, penne or rigatoni. If you’re not baking it, you can make it with a long pasta. However, I do not suggest capellini or spaghettini as they are both too delicate for the hearty sauce.
If you love pepperoni and cured meats, check out this super-easy version of Italian meat and ricotta pie-so rich and delicious!
How to Make Pizzaiolo Pasta, Step-by-Step
Here are the main steps for how to make this pasta alla pizzaiola recipe:
- Prepare the crispy pepperoni: Place the oil + the pepperoni slices in a single layer in large skillet over medium low heat. Cook until they begin to crisp up, then transfer them to a paper towel to drain. Work in batches.
- PRO TIP: Since the slices are so thin, you will probably not need to turn them over during this process.
- Then, add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the rendered pepperoni oil. Cook the garlic for a couple minutes until it has softened a bit and started to brown.
- PRO TIP: When crisping the pepperoni, it renders out a good amount of orange-looking oil/fat that. This oil will help give the pasta its signature pizza flavor! However, if you’re not into it, just remove it and add a little olive oil to the pan.
- Pour the tomatoes, dried oregano, salt and black pepper into the pan and mix well.
- Partially cover the pan and bring it to a simmer. Simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, add the salt, then the pasta to the boiling water, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente.
- PRO TIP: Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Adjust the sauce seasoning, then remove about 2 cups of the sauce and set it aside.
- Transfer the cooked, al dente pasta to the pan and allow it to finish cooking in the wonderful flavors of the sauce.
- PRO TIP: Add pasta water for additional moisture if needed, about ½ cup at a time. (This is a saucy dish, so you may not need any additional moisture–I did not.)
- Place half of the sauced pasta in a lightly oiled or buttered baking dish. Then, sprinkle with half the mozzarella, followed by some pepperoni.
- PRO TIP: It’s best to use block mozzarella and shred it yourself on a box grater. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent to prevent clumps, but which also keeps the cheese from melting properly.
- Repeat this layering one more time, finishing with a bit more of the reserved sauce. Transfer baking dish to a preheated 400°F oven for about 10 minutes or just until the cheese has melted.
- PRO TIP: If you’d rather not bake this dish, check out an alternative procedure in the recipe below.
- Remove from oven and serve baked pizzaiolo pasta immediately with the reserved sauce and extra crispy pepperoni on the side for guests to add to their individual plates. That’s it!
- PRO TIP: Feel free to drizzle a little bit of high quality, extra virgin olive oil over this dish, along with some fresh basil leaves.
Check out my answer to “How Much Salt Should You Add to Pasta Water?” here, as featured in Appetito’s online Italian Food and Drink Magazine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can 100% leave out the pepperoni in this dish if you’re not into it. If you do, increase the olive oil at the beginning of the recipe to 4 Tbsp.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat it, covered, in a small skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through.
If you’d rather not bake this dish, just fold in the mozzarella and about half the crispy pepperoni to the sauced pasta off the heat. Transfer it to a serving platter and top with more crispy pepperoni. You will likely not need all the sauce if you are baking this recipe. Refrigerated or freeze extra sauce and use another time. Also, you can use either long or short pasta in the non-baked version. However, I do not suggest capellini or spaghettini as they are both too delicate for the hearty sauce.
Try serving this Pizzaiolo Pasta with Sauteéd Broccoli Rabe or a simple mixed green salad–delicious pairings!
More Italian Favorites
If you love tomato sauce-based dishes like this Pizzaiolo Pasta, here are a few more recipes to try out:
- Spaghetti and Crabs
- Sausage-Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers
- Green Beans in Tomato Sauce
- Rigatoni Arrabbiata
- Bucatini with Tuna Sauce
- Stuffed Italian Peppers
- Calamari Ragu, Fra-Diavolo
- Tomato Basil Sauce
TOP TIPS FOR PIZZAIOLO PASTA
- USE THE PEPPERONI OIL: When crisping the pepperoni, it renders out a good amount of orange-tinted oil/fat that is used to sauté the garlic, giving the sauce a pepperoni pizza flavor. However, if you’re not into it, just remove it and add a little olive oil to the pan.
- EXTRA SAUCE: This pasta dish is well-sauced intentionally–it contributes to its pizza-ness. Plus, it just works and is really, really good! Extra sauce can be served on the side or used for another recipe. Having said this, feel free to cut back to one can of tomatoes if you desire.
- MOZZARELLA: It’s best to use block mozzarella and shred it yourself on a box grater. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent to prevent clumps, but which also keeps the cheese from melting properly.
- Try the NON-BAKED version of this recipe. Details in the recipe below! Consider fresh mozzarella instead of shredded if you do this.
- SERVING: For a great pizzeria-style vibe, have some dried oregano, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, grated cheese and spicy pepper oil available on the table for guests to drizzle on to their plates as they please.
- HAVE LEFTOVER CRISPY PEPPERONI? Use it as a topping on your next salad!
More Great Recipes to Try
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog Mangia With Michele and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried Pizzaiolo Pasta or any other recipe on the blog, please let me know how it went in the comments below — I love hearing from you!
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Pizzaiolo Pasta with Pepperoni
Equipment
- 1 Large Sauté Pan (or Dutch Oven)
- 1 Dutch oven (or Large Sauté Pan)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil + more for baking dish
- 4 oz mini pepperoni slices, sliced thin (See NOTES.)
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic (Use more if you’d like!)
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed or pureed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Pinch granulated garlic or garlic powder (optional)
- 1 pound short pasta + salt for pasta water (See NOTES.)
- 12 ounced shredded mozzarella cheese
- Garlic powder, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, grated cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients according to specifications above. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400℉. Lightly oil a baking dish that is large enough to hold 1 pound cooked pasta.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Prepare the crispy pepperoni: Place 1 Tbsp oil + the pepperoni slices in a single layer in large skillet over medium low heat. Cook them until they begin to crisp up, then transfer them to a paper towel to drain. Since the slices are so thin, you will probably not need to turn them over during this process. It will take a few minutes for them to become crispy–keep a close eye on them so that they do not burn. Work in batches.1 Tbsp olive oil, 4 oz mini pepperoni slices,
- Then, add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the rendered pepperoni oil. This oil will help give the pasta its signature pizza flavor! Cook the garlic for a couple minutes until it has softened a bit and started to brown.2 Tbsp minced garlic, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Pour the tomatoes, dried oregano, salt, black pepper and garlic powder (if including) into the pan and mix well. Partially cover the pan and bring it to a simmer. Simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 (28-ounce) cans crushed or pureed tomatoes, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, Pinch granulated garlic or garlic powder
- Meanwhile, add the salt, then the pasta to the boiling water, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.1 pound short pasta
- Adjust the sauce seasoning, then remove about 2 cups of the sauce and set it aside. (See instructions below for the non-baked version of this dish.)
- Transfer the cooked, al dente pasta to the pan and allow it to finish cooking in the wonderful flavors of the sauce. Add pasta water for additional moisture if needed, about ½ cup at a time. (This is a saucy dish, so you may not need any additional moisture–I did not.)
- Place half of the sauced pasta in a lightly oiled or buttered baking dish. Then, sprinkle with half the mozzarella, followed by some pepperoni. Repeat this layering one more time, finishing with a bit more of the reserved sauce.12 ounced shredded mozzarella cheese
- Transfer baking dish to a preheated 400℉ oven for about 10 minutes or just until the cheese has melted.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately with the reserved sauce and extra crispy pepperoni on the side for guests to add to their individual plates. If desired, drizzle a small amount of high-quality extra virgin olive oil over the finished dish.
- And, for a more pizzeria-type vibe, have some garlic powder, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, grated cheese and homemade spicy pepper oil on the table as well. Buon Appetito!Garlic powder, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, grated cheese,
Notes
- You can 100% leave out the pepperoni in this dish if you’re not into it. If you do, increase the olive oil at the beginning of the recipe to 4 Tbsp.
- Alternatively, if you like the idea of pepperoni, but just don’t want to make it crispy, you can simply layer it as is in the final steps. In this instance, increase the olive oil at the beginning of the recipe to 2 Tbsp.
- When crisping the pepperoni, it renders out a good amount of orange-tinted oil/fat that is used to sauté the garlic, giving the sauce a pepperoni pizza flavor. However, if you’re not into it, just remove it and add a little olive oil to the pan.
- If you’re using the large pepperoni slices, I suggest quartering them into smaller pieces.
- It’s best to use block mozzarella and shred it yourself on a box grater. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent to prevent clumps, but which also keeps the cheese from melting properly.
- If baking this recipe as it is written, make this dish with a short pasta, such as fusilli, ziti, penne or rigatoni. If you’re not baking it, you can make it with a long pasta. However, I do not suggest capellini or spaghettini as they are both too delicate for the hearty sauce.
- Fresh mozzarella can be used and is especially preferred in the non-baked version of this recipe.
- NON-BAKED RECIPE VERSION: If you’d rather not bake this dish, just fold in the mozzarella and about half the crispy pepperoni to the sauced pasta off the heat. Transfer it to a serving platter and top with more crispy pepperoni. You will likely not need all the sauce if you are baking this recipe. Refrigerated or freeze extra sauce and use another time.
Such a fun recipe! My kids and whole family loved it. Will definitely make again.