Pepperoni Penne
This is a dish that I put together one day using pepperoni that I had left in the refrigerator. My family and I couldn't get enough and it has now become a monthly meal. I hope that you all enjoy!
This is a dish that I put together one day using pepperoni that I had left in the refrigerator. My family and I couldn't get enough and it has now become a monthly meal. I hope that you all enjoy!
- Carbohydrate 64.6284464103691 g
- Cholesterol 140.173183334108 mg
- Fat 29.6545973829186 g
- Fiber 9.17396677854271 g
- Protein 48.2508959673387 g
- Saturated Fat 14.6817798456523 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (314g)
- Sodium 846.504361863464 mg
- Sugar 55.4544796318264 g
- Trans Fat 3.13791349253217 g
- Calories 722 calories
Step-by-step
- preheat oven to 375 degrees
- begin by browning ground beef in a 12 inch pan. Season with all purpose seasoning(i use adobo which can be found in the spanish aisle of your grocery store), garlic powder and dried oregano. Once meat is no longer pink and cooked completely, add 1.5 jars of spaghetti sauce. If this isn't enough sauce for you, you may add 2 jars instead. stir the sauce and simmer on low.
- meanwhile, cook penne according to box directions. I always add a little salt to the water. Drain once it is cooked, and put it into the meat sauce that should still be simmering. Mix the penne until well coated with the sauce. Add in the green onions and mix one more time.
- Using a 9x13 pan, assemble the dish by placing half of the mixture in the pan and sprinkle one cup of mozzarella cheese. Add in second layer of the pasta and sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and layer pepperoni on top. I always do rows of 7.
- place pan in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pepperoni is cooked and cheese is bubbly.
- enjoy!!!
Swapping standard cured pepperoni for thick-cut sopressata fundamentally alters the fat distribution, releasing dense pockets of oil that permeate the mozzarella layer during baking rather than crisping on the surface. Casserole formats relying on layered pasta and melted cheese trace their lineage to medieval Italian pie-making traditions, where rich fillings were sealed inside protective envelopes to retain moisture over hours of storage. Modern incarnations adapted this preservation logic to domestic ovens, creating meals designed to withstand the physical degradation of freezing and subsequent thawing. Managing simultaneous tasks in a domestic kitchen requires boiling the penne precisely until al dente before it enters the sauce, ensuring the starch structure holds firm through both the initial simmer and the subsequent twenty-minute oven bake at 375 degrees.
- Assemble the 9x13 pan up to 24 hours in advance, covering it tightly with foil and refrigerating before the final bake.
- Extend the oven time by roughly ten to fifteen minutes when baking the dish directly from a frozen state, ensuring the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Portion leftovers into airtight glass containers within two hours of baking to maintain food safety and prevent moisture separation during storage.
- Reheat individual portions in a 350-degree oven for twenty minutes rather than a microwave to preserve the textural integrity of the melted cheese and pasta.
Baked pasta maintains its structural integrity exceptionally well when cooled rapidly before entering cold storage. Proper cooling prevents internal condensation from making the bottom layer mushy.
