Can't decide between pizza and pasta? You don't have to!
I have a confession to make: I used to take a lot of cheat days just so I could eat pizza. A slice of cheesy, carb-loaded pizza is deeply rooted in my childhood as the ultimate comfort food. I simply can’t keep myself from it once a month! But I’ve learned that my weight-loss journey isn’t just about losing weight; it’s also about creating healthy eating habits. So, I decided to ditch the cheat days and create a healthier version of pizza that wouldn’t break the calorie bank. This One-Pot Pizza Pasta combines all the flavors I love about pizza with the simplicity of pasta. Because who wants to roll out pizza dough and deal with all that mess when you could make pasta instead?
Since this recipe is a one-pot meal, clean-up is a breeze! You won’t even need to pull out a tall stockpot to boil the pasta, either. You simply cook the onions and peppers in the skillet before adding the sauce, pasta, and some water. Once the pasta is cooked through, add your toppings and cheese. Then, just broil it until it’s melty and delicious. This One-Pot Pizza Pasta bake is really as easy as that!
Choosing the Right Tomato Sauce
Always look for a low-sodium, no-sugar-added tomato sauce. Many store-bought tomato sauces are made with inflammatory omega-6-filled oils, like canola or soybean oils. Those types of sauces will actually cause you to hold onto stubborn belly fat instead of losing it. They will also make you feel super bloated, too! If you can find a marinara made with extra virgin olive oil, that’s best because they contain oleic acid that can aid in weight loss.
You don’t necessarily need to shy away from flavored tomato sauces, like those containing roasted garlic or herbs like basil. Just check out the ingredients label and look for ones with no added sugar, low-sodium, and olive oil. We really like Amy’s Organics low-sodium marinara, or Cucina Antica tomato sauce (which also happens to be non-GMO and Whole30 approved).
If you really want to go to the next level, try making your own using this easy method.
Make it Your Own
We took our favorite pizza and turned it into this One-Pot Pizza Pasta. That means it’s loaded up with turkey sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, and garlic: All the flavors of a supreme pizza in an easy-to-cook package. If you prefer a vegetarian pizza, try the toppings from this Vegetarian Pizza Casserole. Feel free to make any ingredient swaps to make it your own, just keep in mind that you’ll have to calculate the nutrition information based on the added ingredients.
Here are some of our favorite healthy pizza topping combinations:
- Tomatoes, mushrooms, red onions, and olives
- Zucchini and bell peppers
- Asparagus, peas, and capers
- Bacon, kale, and roasted garlic
- Shredded chicken, spinach, and artichokes
- Ham and pineapple
- Chicken sausage, butternut squash, and caramelized onions
You could even swap-in your favorite gluten-free noodles if you can’t eat whole-wheat pasta. That would make this dish completely gluten-free without having to make many major modifications!
One-Pot Pizza Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey sausage
- 1 green bell pepper diced small
- 1/2 yellow onion diced small
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup turkey pepperoni uncured, sulfate-free, cut into half moons
- 24 ounces marinara sauce jar, no sugar added
- 3 cups water
- 1 pound whole-wheat pasta dry, uncooked (such as penne, rigatoni, or macaroni)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese fat-free, shredded
- 1/4 cup basil fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven broiler to high. In a large oven-safe skillet on medium heat, cook the turkey sausage breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. When the sausage is about halfway cooked, add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Continue to cook until the sausage is cooked through and onions are translucent. Drain off any excess liquid.
- Stir in half the pepperoni, marinara, and water. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed and the pasta is tender. Stir in half the mozzarella cheese. Top the pasta with the remaining mozzarella and pepperoni. Place uncovered in the broiler and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown and pepperoni is crisp. Remove from the oven and top with basil. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
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Simple, but tasty and the whole family will eat it. We add mushrooms to it, but otherwise make it as is.