Italian Pizza Casserole

Makes 8-10 servings! Can be made ahead of time and frozen when ready to bake. Or you can just make it and bake it right away.

3 cups uncooked ziti noodles
1 pound ground sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced/ or garlic powder
1 1/2 cups quartered fresh mushrooms
1 (3 oz.) package sliced pepperoni, chopped
1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.

In a large skillet, cook sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic over medium heat until sausage is browned and crumbles; drain well. Spoon sausage mixture into a large bowl.

Stir in mushrooms and next 8 ingredients. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Add cooked ziti, tossing gently to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until casserole is hot and bubbly.