If there ever was a totally family-pleasing meal, this Pizza Pasta Bake is it!
One of kids’ favorite foods is pizza. But when you need a little change-up from the crust, sauce, cheese and toppings kind-of-a-deal, serve up pizza in pasta form instead! It’s sure to fill and satisfy those tummies too! Just another note to its credit…it comes together almost effortlessly!
Spiral pasta and beef are tossed in a semi-homemade red sauce and topped with cheese and pepperoni, with a few sprinkles of crunchy croutons and Parmesan, if you so choose. What could be better? It’s pizza wearing a pasta casserole mask. Though I hesitate to use the word casserole, because I don’t want to scare anyone away. Growing up, we used to groan loudly when my mom would put a casserole in front of us at the dinner table, and my mom is a great cook. There’s just something taboo about quickly throwing a bunch of ingredients (even when they’re yummy) together and baking them. Why is that?
But let me tell you…this is not my mom or your mom’s casserole. In fact, it’s so good that I’m calling it a “Bake”. It’s completely scrumptious! And it makes a ton! So we ate it for two dinners and a lunch and still weren’t tired of it.
{PIZZA PASTA BAKE}
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home
1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
3 1/2 c. spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. oregano
1 pkg. (16 oz.) spiral pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz. sliced pepperoni
1 c. seasoned croutons for topping (optional)
1/8 c. Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)
In a large skillet, cook beef (or turkey) and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, sugar, and oregano. Stir in pasta. Transfer to a greased 13-in.x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Arrange pepperoni over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.
It’s flavorful and the smell alone will make everyone swarm like bees around the stuff, until they can fill their mouths with it.
This Pizza Pasta Bake is definitely going to become a regular on the dinner menu at our house. I hope you love it as much as we do!
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Looking for more family-pleasing pasta meals? Try these!
- Brooke -
I tried your Animal Circus Cookies, they were a huge hit. I put a link to you on my post today :)