Description
This One-Pan Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake is a busy weeknight dream. It comes together in one pan from start to finish, tastes like a decadent pepperoni pizza and pasta in one, and will make your family oh so happy! It’s comfort food to the max and does NOT apologize for it!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups marinara sauce (we love Rao’s)
- 1½ cups water
- 12 oz penne pasta (or pasta shape of choice – I recommend a shorter shape)
- 4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes (I use reduced-fat)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 5 oz mini pepperoni, divided
- 1½ cups grated mozzarella cheese
- Fresh herbs, for serving (parsley or basil work best here)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet (preferably with a lid) over medium heat and add the oil. Once it is hot, add the onions and bell peppers along with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are beginning to soften.
- Add in the garlic, dried herbs, and red pepper flakes (if using), and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the tomato paste and stir until it is melted and coating all the veggies.
- Stir in the marinara, water, and the pasta. Season with some salt and pepper (not too much – we’ll taste later and adjust, as needed. This can easily get over salty because of the marinara, cheese, and pepperoni).
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low so that the liquids are barely simmering, cover the pan, and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Make sure to stir a few times to ensure that the pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the lid and stir in the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and roughly ⅔ of the pepperoni. Mix until everything is well combined and the cheeses are completely melted. Taste (carefully! It’s super hot!) and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed.
- Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the mozzarella cheese and remaining pepperoni.
- Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted, gooey, and golden brown in spots.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving, garnished with fresh herbs.
Notes
- You can use regular sliced pepperoni with this recipe. I recommend chopping it up a bit so it evenly disperses throughout the dish. The mini pepperoni are small enough that you can just stir them in as is. This is my favorite.
- To keep this vegetarian, simply omit the pepperoni altogether.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: dinner