Ever have one of those weeks where you hit the middle of the week and suddenly you're craving pizza?

Around here, pizza is usually reserved for the weekends, so I started wondering how I could capture all those pizza flavors and turn them into a hearty family supper.

The best part? I grabbed a jar of our own pasta sauce that we canned two summers ago from our heirloom tomatoes. There is something so satisfying about opening a jar you preserved and turning it into supper. 

Welcome to my Pizza Pasta creation.

It's everything we love about pizza—savory meat sauce using a jar of our canned pasta sauce, gooey melted cheese, crispy pepperoni, Italian herbs, and tender pasta baked together into one comforting casserole. We made ours with gluten-free pasta, and let me tell you... if you're lucky enough to grab one of those pepperoni slices off the top, you're in for a treat! Those crispy little bites disappeared fast.

To round out the meal, we served it with fresh cooked beets and a sweet pineapple I had waiting on the counter to slice up.

Sometimes you don't need fancy. You just need a warm meal that fills everyone's plate, satisfies that pizza craving, and gets you through the mid-week slump with a few happy, full bellies around the table.