Pepperoni Pasta Bake
Living with a picky eater sometimes means to my dismay cooking a separate meal for the husband. The night I made the pumpkin ricotta pasta was one of those nights. I thought there was potential for this meal. I feel like if it has the main ingredients of a pizza it will be a hit. Turns out I’m wrong. Chad was not a fan of this meal. However, I feel like if you like vegetables this would spruce up this meal. He thought it was okay but also said I never need to make it again. I guess if you have a picky eater you may want to skip this meal!
I would highly suggest visiting the original website to see a fancier version of this dish! Click here to view
Ingredients (I cut this probably in half or more since I was low on pasta)
- 1 lb. dry pasta of your choice
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- about 30 pepperonis, sliced into halves
- optional toppings: chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley, shaved Parmesan cheese
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions.
While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until it is cooked and translucent. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute more, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat.
Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain the water and return the pasta back to the pot. Stir in the garlic/onion mixture, the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, Mozzarella (reserve a small handful of the cheese for the topping), Parmesan and pepperonis. Mix until wel-blended.
Transfer the pasta to a greased baking dish, and then sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake covered for 40 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the cheese turns slightly golden.
Happy Cooking!
My attempts at cooking 