Pizza Pasta
This Pizza Pasta merges the fuss-free ease of a weeknight one-pot meal with the flavors of your favorite pizza, combining ground beef, pizza sauce, and gooey cheese over tender penne.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 24 ounces pizza sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta & Toppings
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 4 ounces pepperoni slices
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and diced onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and Italian seasoning; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in pizza sauce, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook until bubbling around the edges, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Pasta & Toppings
- Meanwhile, cook penne in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 9-11 minutes; drain.
- Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat in sauce.
- Preheat broiler. Transfer pasta mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Top with mozzarella, Parmesan, and arrange pepperoni slices.
- Broil until cheese melts and bubbles and pepperoni edges crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully.
- Remove and let rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
I found that finely dicing the onion in my second test resulted in a silkier sauce.
Let the pasta rest two minutes under the broiler for that perfect cheese settle.
Chill leftovers for a day to meld flavors before reheating.