Slow Cooker Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

• 12 ounces pasta elbow or rotini, cooked until almost al dente
• 1 table olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot
• 1 cup yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 28 ounces of pizza sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup pepperoni

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions but remove it slightly before al dente, about 2 minutes, so the pasta is slightly underdone.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and brown on both sides, breaking it up into smaller pieces. In the last 3 minutes add the onions until they soften slightly. Then add in the garlic at the last minute. The sausage does not need to be fully cooked.
3. Add the red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and smoked paprika to the pizza sauce and stir until combined. Pour about a third of the sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker, spreading it out evenly.
4. Next add about a third of the pasta over the sauce, then add a third of the sausage and onions. Sprinkle about a third of the red and green peppers over the sausage.
5. Next add a third of the mozzarella and provolone cheeses, followed by some pepperoni layered over the top. Continue the same steps 2 more times until you are out of ingredients.
6. Secure the slow cooker lid and cook for 2 hours on high or 3-4 hours on low. The cheese will be really melted and bubbly. Serve and enjoy.