Crustless Pizza Bowls Easy Recipe
Crustless Pizza Bowls combine the flavors of pizza with the comfort of pasta in a quick, oven-baked dish that skips the crust but keeps all the cheesy goodness. This easy recipe layers tender pasta, savory sauce, and your favorite pizza toppings in individual bowls, then broils everything until bubbly and golden for a fun weeknight meal.
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Why You Should Try This Pizza Bowls Recipe
Using cooked pasta as the base creates a hearty, scoopable layer that holds the sauce and toppings together like a crustless pizza. A quick finish under the broiler melts the cheese and lightly browns the top, giving each bowl the classic pizza texture and flavor without extra prep.
Homemade Pizza Bowls Recipe Ingredients
This recipe is for Italian sausage and pepperoni pizza bowls. Mild or spicy Italian sausage – your choice. Here are the ingredients:
For the Base:
- Pasta – Short, sturdy shapes like penne, rigatoni, or manicotti work best for easy eating
- Tomato pasta sauce or marinara sauce – Provides the classic pizza sauce foundation
For the Protein Toppings:
- Pepperoni – Adds classic pizza flavor and a slightly spicy kick
- Italian sausage, mild or spicy – Provides hearty, seasoned protein base
- White onion – Contributes a sweet, aromatic flavor when cooked
For the Vegetable Toppings:
- Bell pepper – Adds crunch, sweetness, and vibrant color
- Mushrooms – Provide earthy, umami-rich flavor and meaty texture
For the Cheese:
- Mozzarella cheese – Creates the classic stretchy, melty pizza cheese experience
How to Make This Recipe for Pizza Bowls
What could be an easier dinner to make than this mash-up of pasta and pizza? Here’s what you do:
- Place the cooked pasta in small oven-safe bowls or large ramekins.
- Top with warmed sauce.
- Add pizza toppings and cheese on top.
- Brown pasta under the broiler.
Recipe Variations
There are many ways you can customize this pizza bowl recipe:
- Pizza Bowl Toppings: Go for your favorites, as long those that need cooking are pre-cooked. As well as the toppings in this pizza pasta bowls recipe, you could include veggies like green pepper, onion, black olives, and/or fresh basil for example.
- Meat Lovers Pizza Bowls: Consider using all sausage for sausage pizza bowls. Other toppings might include salami, bacon, or meatballs.
- Chicken Alfredo Pizza Bowl: Use alfredo sauce instead of a tomato-based one and juicy cooked chicken instead of pepperoni and Italian sausage. Consider including cooked spinach in your toppings and sprinkling parmesan cheese on top.
- Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza Bowls: Use cooked ground beef, crumbled crispy bacon, and plenty of cheddar cheese or a cheese blend.
- Hawaiian Pizza Bowls: Use cubes of salty ham and sweet pineapple tidbits.
- Cheesy Pizza Bowls: Add another cheese to the mozzarella, or substitute your favorite blend of cheeses such as Cheddar, Colby, Jack, provolone, or parmesan.
- Gluten-Free Pizza Bowls: Substitute gluten-free pasta for regular pasta.
- Low-Carb Pizza Bowls: Substitute spaghetti squash for the pasta. See this video on how to substitute pasta with squash.
- Keto Pizza Bowls: Make keto-friendly pizza bowls by choosing a sugar-free tomato pizza sauce and using spaghetti squash or another keto-friendly pasta substitute.
Make-Ahead & Freezer Tips
Make-Ahead: Assemble the pizza bowls with pasta, sauce, and toppings, but wait to add the cheese until just before baking. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then top with cheese and broil or bake until hot and bubbly.
Freezer Prep: Prepare the bowls without broiling, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, add cheese if needed, and bake until heated through before broiling briefly to brown the top.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store leftover pizza bowls covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Individual portions store best in their original bowls.
- Reheating Method: Microwave individual bowls for 1-2 minutes, or broil on high for 2-3 minutes to re-crisp the cheese topping.
- Freezing: Assemble bowls without baking, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and bake as directed, adding extra time if needed.
Favorite Pasta Dinners
- Baked Ziti
- Cavatini
- Cheese Stuffed Shells
- Garlic Butter Pasta
- Instant Pot Pasta
- New Orleans Pasta
- Pasta Alla Vodka Sauce
- Pasta con Broccoli
- Spaghetti Meat Sauce
- Stuffed Manicotti with Meat
Popular Pizza-Inspired Recipes
Check out more of my easy pasta recipes and the best recipes for Italian food on CopyKat!
The video in this recipe was sponsored by Prego Pasta Sauce.
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Crustless Pizza Bowls Easy Pizza Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta prepared according to package directions
- 1 jar Prego Pasta Sauce
Pizza Topping Options
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups cooked Italian sausage
- 6 ounces pepperoni
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat the pasta sauce in a pot over medium heat until it is warmed through.
- Divide the cooked pasta among small oven-proof bowls and top with Prego Pasta Sauce and your favorite pizza toppings. Add the cheese last.
- Place the bowls under the broiler for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.
I discovered these pizza bowls at our local “Marcos Oizza” some time ago. I have been making them at home ever since, and varying the recipe to suit everyones’ tastes. I MUCH prefer these to regular pizza with crusts. I do add herbs (fresh if I have them—I grow them in my Aero Garden out of season) in a grinder if I don’t have any fresh. Fresh makes ALL the diffrence!!! Use sauce of choice. I like Classico Sausage and Green Pepper, with a few Tbsp. of red wine. More onions than Stephanie shows in the video, and sometimes I vary the cheese. I ALWAYS use freshly grated cheese, unless I am desperate. A few drops of hot sauce to taste if you like it. Add it to the sauce if you use it. I do’t care for mushrooms, so I leave them out and substitute pineapple (I know, my husband doesn’t like it either! But I think it is good with the seet Italian sausage). If I use pepproni, I buy fresh if available, and cut the rounds into fourths. ENJOY!!
I made some of these for the first week of school, my kids loved them.
I made this recipe here at home and my family loved it. I’m loving your blog.
This looks really good and simple to make. Thanks!
This is a quick delciious meal i would enjoy. i love cheese and pepperoni, my son would love this too. thank you for sharing this recipe
What a great idea! So easy and quick to make. I can see this recipe being one that would be used on those super busy school nights.
I want to get a new set of oven safe bowls that will be perfect for this dish! Pasta is my favorite comfort food and the temperatures are getting cooler, fall is on it’s way…which is complete comfort food season for me! lol
What a great idea! They look so easy to make, and I bet they’re delicious!
Yes I am always looking for meals where the kids can join me. And this would be totally up their ally, especially since they can they get creative with the individual bowls.
I love this idea for the kids to make after school or sports. What a clever one dish meal that is simple yet satisfying;
Now this is perfect for when your craving pizza but don’t want to be stuck with leftovers (Which is an actual thing believe it or not!!). Drooling here!!
Wow delicious, I was looking for this everywhere.Already got print of this page. Thanks
Thank you for your kind sharing of these many recipes. We really appreciate your efforts to help us even afford to make Restaurant Dishes at home
Thank you very much!