Crustless Pizza Bowls Easy Recipe

Crustless Pizza Bowls is a tasty meal of pasta, sauce, pizza toppings, and mozzarella cheese all in one bowl. Everyone who loves pizza will enjoy these pizza bowls made with pasta, tomato sauce, favorite pizza toppings, and mozzarella cheese. It’s a clever one-dish meal that’s simple yet satisfying, with all the delicious, saucy Italian flavors of pizza tossed into a bowl and baked. Pizza bowls don’t involve a crust, making them an easy way to satisfy your pizza cravings without the trouble of making a traditional pie.

two pizza bowls with melted mozzarella cheese on top.

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Why You Should Try This Pizza Bowls Recipe

This recipe provides the perfect family night meal, allowing everyone to participate. You can create a whole bar of pizza toppings and let everyone assemble their dinner exactly how they want it. Making a whole pizza can be challenging, especially on busy weeknights, but boiling pasta takes no time at all. This approach eliminates the complexity of pizza dough while delivering all the flavors you crave, and it’s perfect when you want pizza without dealing with leftovers.

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
ingredients for pizza bowls on a tray.

What Kind of Pasta Is Best for This Pizza Pasta Recipe?

This fun pasta bowls recipe can be made with any short, sturdy noodle, such as manicotti, penne, or rigatoni. These pasta shapes are easier and less messy to eat, especially if you have kids. 

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:

pasta in bowls.
  1. Top with warmed sauce.
pasta and sauce in bowls.
  1. Add pizza toppings and cheese on top.
pizza bowls with various toppings before baking.
  1. Brown under the broiler.
two pizza bowls and one with some of it on a fork over it.

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.

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.
overhead view of pizza bowls with melted mozzarella cheese on top.

Favorite Pasta Dinners

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.

two pizza bowls with melted mozzarella cheese on top.

Crustless Pizza Bowls Easy Recipe

Make easy crustless pizza bowls with pasta, sauce, pizza toppings, and melted cheese. Perfect family dinner with no pizza crust needed!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pizza bowls
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 1051kcal

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.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 1051kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 2413mg | Potassium: 1225mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1705IU | Vitamin C: 38.9mg | Calcium: 356mg | Iron: 5mg

About Stephanie Manley

Stephanie Manley is the creator of CopyKat.com. She has been recreating copycat recipes since 1995. Learn more about Stephanie Manley.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pamela Allison

    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!!

  2. Jessica

    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

  3. Brianne

    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.

  4. Robert

    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

5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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