This Deep Dish Pizza with Pasta Crust is a sponsored recipe written by me on behalf of PAM Cooking Spray.
I’m excited to share this fun deep dish pizza recipe with you. The crust is made with cute star-shaped pasta instead of a traditional pizza crust, and…
Ahem, would you look at me while I’m talking to you please? Oh, I see. You can’t take your eyes off that gorgeous Le Creuset pie dish, right? It was a gift, and I’m trying to keep it nice by always using PAM Cooking Spray to prevent foods from sticking. I can hardly function in the kitchen without my cooking spray, and I was happy to learn that now PAM leaves 99% less residue. I don’t know about you, but I’m not crazy about the baked-on, sticky film some cooking sprays can leave behind even after washing the pan.
Now, back to the tasty deep dish pizza. This hearty meal is adapted from a recipe that used orzo for the crust. As soon as I saw these cute, teeny stars (called Stelline), I knew I had to use them in this recipe! Make sure you remember the PAM for this one though because baking pasta without cooking spray is just asking for trouble! We all have baking disasters, (like that time I forgot to add the sugar to the pumpkin pie), but food sticking to the pan doesn’t need to be one of them.
This deep dish pizza pie is simple to make and oh so good. Not only would it be perfect for you family dinner, it would also be a crowd pleaser at a potluck!
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 1/2 c. stelline or orzo pasta (these are both tiny, like grains of rice.)
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
- 2 c. marinara sauce divided
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage pork or turkey
- 6 oz. baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1/2 c. ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 c. Italian blend shredded cheese
Ingredients
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Rate this recipe!
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- Preheate oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 10" pie dish with PAM cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water for a few seconds.
- Stir together eggs, parmesan cheese, and 1/2 c. marinara sauce until well combined. Stir in drained pasta until evenly coated. Pour pasta mixture into prepared pie dish, and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan to form the crust.
- Spray a 12" skillet with PAM and heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and brown and crumble meat until cooked through. Add spinach, and stir and saute until spinach is completely cooked and wilted. Drain meat and spinach mixture very well. (The draining step is important! Too much liquid will cause the crust to fall apart.)
- Return the meat and spinach to the skillet or a large mixing bowl, and stir in ricotta cheese. Spread sausage mixture evenly into pasta crust.
- Spread remaining 1 1/2 c. marinara (or as much as sauce as you like) over the sausage, and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top, and bake an additional 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to stand about 10 minutes before cutting.
Adapted from Better Homes and Garden's Home for Dinner
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of PAM Cooking Spray.
What a great idea to use star pasta as a pie crust, and I love how this dish comes together; so creative. Stopping by from #SITSBlogging.
Thank you, Angela! It’s great to meet you. Thanks so much for stopping by!
I have been wondering what to do with those tiny little pastas, thank you! I’ll make this recipe, sounds great!
I hope you like it, Chrystal! I have another recipe coming up with star pasta, maybe this week, so you can use up the rest of the box :) Thanks so much for your visit!
Thank you to all who left a comment and entered the PAM sweepstakes. We have a winner! Congratulations to Laura Houston! I still welcome your comments about the pizza or the pan or life in general, but the contest has ended. Thanks again!
My 7 year old son would love this pie crust. The only problem is that he is allergic to eggs, is there something else I could use to hold it together??
Hi, Kristen! I can’t say how it will work for sure since I haven’t tried it yet, but what about stirring in an additional 1/2 c. of ricotta with the pasta? I think that would hold it together. Honestly, even if it falls apart a bit when you serve it, it will still taste as good! Thanks so much for stopping by :)
My son is allergic to eggs, could something else be used in their place??
I would make a cherry pie!! yummm! Or maybe Mushroom Quiche. Cant decide :)
Those are two pretty opposite choices, but both sound really good, Rochel! Good luck in the giveaway, and thanks for your visit!
Yum!! This looks YUMMY, I think I will try to make a Pecan Pie :)
That sounds good, Chastidy, and this big pie dish will make a big one! Thanks so much for your visit!
Since you now have me craving pizza and spinach…lol…the first thing I will make will be a deep dish spinach & cheese pizza :)
Thanks, Debra! I sure hope you like it as much as we did!
If I win the first thing I’m going I make is a delicious pumpkin pie! Thanks for the giveaway & recipe, which I’m going to try after my pie!
Sounds good, and thank you! Good luck in the giveaway, Cassandra!
I think the first thing I would make in it would be a peach cobbler.
That sounds really good, Karen! I use frozen peaches for recipes all year round. Thanks for your comment!