Description
This “Pepperoni Pasta Bake” is simple, inexpensive, and always a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb. dry pasta of your choice
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- half a white onion, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cook pasta in generously-salted water until 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 well-blended.
- Transfer the pasta to a greased baking dish, and then sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella cheese on top. Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starts to brown around the edges.
- Serve immediately.