Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• 1 13-ounce (about 375 grams) box whole wheat pasta (I prefer rotini, ziti, or penne)
• 1 pound (454 grams) ground Italian sausage, turkey, or beef
• 2 cups pepperoni, diced
• 4 8-ounce cans (227 grams each) tomato sauce (or 2 15-ounce cans)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
• 2 cups (227 grams) mozzarella cheese

Details

Adapted from bakingdom.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (165 C). Lightly spray a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Boil the pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. You can skip boiling the pasta and bake it raw, but you will have to bake the dish for at least 1 hour (as opposed to 25 minutes).

Cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet until browned. Stir in the pepperoni; set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce, oil, salt, sugar, italian seasonings, pepper, and garlic. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes to release herb flavors. Stir the sauce into the cooked meat. Stir in the pasta and pour the entire mixture into the prepared 9×13-inch pan. Sprinkle with 2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes (if using raw pasta, cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes; remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes), until bubbling and cheese is just turning brown on top. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.