Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna

Pizza or lasagna? Why not go for both in this fun mash-up of two favorite comfort foods? This Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna is sure to be a family favorite!

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My son found my old collection of Garfield cartoons on DVD, and he’s been working his way through them. (I had to explain to him what a DVD was…) He commented that Garfield eats a lot of lasagna, and that led to a conversation about what lasagna is and how to make it.

In its classic form, lasagna (also known as lasagne) is an Italian dish made with layers of flat sheets of pasta alternated with fillings such as cheese, béchamel sauce, tomato sauce, vegetables, meats, etc. The whole thing is baked in the oven until the layers of cheesy goodness are melted and the pasta has fully cooked.

Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna

While I love a good lasagna in its classic form, it’s always fun to create a mash up – and that’s where this Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna comes in. Lasagna in method, but with several substitutions to make it more like a pizza. This combination of Italian and American flavors is the ultimate comfort food! Why decide between pizza and lasagna when you can have both?!

Ingredients

• Oven-ready Lasagna Noodles. No need to bake the noodles first! Just make sure to pick up “oven ready” noodles or “no boil” noodles.
• Pizza Sauce. Instead of ragu or marinara sauce like you might find in a classic lasagna recipe, this version uses a jar of pizza sauce. I mixed in a can of diced tomatoes as well to give the sauce a bit more bulk. The difference is that pizza sauce is uncooked tomato sauce, while pasta sauce is cooked. This slight difference leads to a brighter, fresher tomato flavor.
• Sliced Pepperoni and Italian Sausage Links. I used mini pepperoni and sliced Italian sausage in the layers for this Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna. The Italian sausage could be omitted, but it adds a nice addition in terms of texture and flavor. Similar to adding the diced tomatoes above, the sausage keeps the lasagna filling from being too smooth.
• Whole Milk Ricotta, Parmesan Cheese, Fresh Herbs and Garlic. This combination yields a flavorful mixture of ricotta cheese that makes up the main layers in the lasagna. Add in some shredded mozzarella cheese and you’re all set!

Substitutions

We all have our favorite pizza toppings. Some like pineapple, others red onions. Some like mushrooms and peppers, others hate mushrooms and peppers. The nice thing about this recipe is you can easily toss in your other favorite pizza toppings! Toss in a diced bell pepper or some sliced mushrooms. We actually love diced jalapenos on pizza. I forgot to include those in this recipe, but next time I make it diced jalapenos will be involved!

This Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna recipe is truly not very difficult to make. It takes ~20 minutes to cook the sausage and layer everything together in a casserole dish. Then it takes another ~40 minutes to bake. That’s it, though! The result is a fantastic dinner that the whole family will love. (Oh, and it reheats beautifully for leftovers throughout the week!)

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover lasagna should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. To reheat, the oven is the best method. Just place the lasagna slices in an oven-safe dish and sprinkle a little water on top. Wrap with aluminum foil and then reheat in a 325°F oven until hot. While this method is the best in terms of taste, the downside is it can take 30-40 minutes depending on how much you are reheating.

Leftover lasagna can also be reheated in 30-second intervals in a microwave until heated through. Just sprinkle a little water on top or lay a wet paper towel on top before reheating.

And, yes, this Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna can be frozen! Once the lasagna has cooled, wrap the entire pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can slice the lasagna and wrap each individual slice – that makes it easy to grab a couple slices for dinner on a busy weeknight! Just let the lasagna thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for ~30-45 minutes before reheating.

Not only is this recipe delicious, but it’s also a fun mash-up of two classic comfort food recipes. I hope this recipe becomes a family favorite for you – it certainly is here in our house! Cheers!

Did you bake this Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna

Pizza or lasagna? Why not go for both in this fun mash-up of two favorite comfort foods? This Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna is sure to be a family favorite!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 732kcal

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Ingredients

• 3 Italian sausage links
• 32 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ crushed red pepper flakes optional
• 1 15-oz. jar pizza sauce
• 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
• 9 oven-ready lasagna sheets
• 5 oz. mini pepperoni slices

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Slice sausage links and place in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, flipping occasionally, or until sausage is fully cooked and turning golden brown. Remove sausage from skillet and pat dry with paper towels. Set sausage aside.
• Using a large bowl, add ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped oregano, chopped basil, garlic, egg and salt; stir until well combined. Set ricotta mixture aside.
• Drain canned tomatoes. Using a medium bowl, add pizza sauce and diced tomatoes; stir until well combined.
• Spray a 9”x13” casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread ~½ cup of pizza sauce mixture on bottom of dish.
• Next, add 3 lasagna sheets. Add ⅓ of the remaining pizza sauce mixture. Spread ½ of the ricotta mixture on top. Spread ½ of the sliced cooked sausage on top. Finally, sprinkle ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and ⅓ of the sliced pepperoni on top of the ricotta.
• Add a 2nd layer of lasagna sheets to the baking dish. Spread another ⅓ of the pizza sauce mixture on top followed by all of the remaining ricotta mixture. Spread remaining sliced sausage on top. Sprinkle another ½ cup of mozzarella and another ⅓ of the sliced pepperoni on top.
• Finally, place remaining lasagna sheets on top. Spread remaining sauce on top of the lasagna. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and sliced pepperoni on top.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until lasagna is bubbly. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

I used mini pepperoni slices, but feel free to use larger slices – just cut them in half before using.

I recommend using fresh herbs in the ricotta mixture if possible – the flavor is just so much better!  However, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano and dried basil can be substituted if needed.

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