5-Ingredient Pizza Pasta Bake
Try this 5-Ingredient Pizza Pasta Bake recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this 5-Ingredient Pizza Pasta Bake recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 1.04704238649333 g
- Cholesterol 24.1915930453333 mg
- Fat 6.01765877002667 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 9.17012573874667 g
- Saturated Fat 3.82302768844533 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (246g)
- Sodium 233.978063985333 mg
- Sugar 1.04704238649333 g
- Trans Fat 0.311466760458666 g
- Calories 96 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add pasta to a large pot of salted boiling water than cook a couple minutes before the pasta reaches the al dente stage (pasta will continue to cook in the oven.) Drain then set aside.
- Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce into the bottom of an 8x8" baking dish.
- Spoon in half the pasta then spoon enough marinara sauce over top to cover.
- Sprinkle on half the pepperoni and black olives, and half the cheeses.
- Repeat layers then cover with a piece of foil sprayed very well with nonstick spray and place baking dish on top of a baking sheet.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes then remove foil and bake for 10-15 additional minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.
- Let casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Combining pasta casseroles with pizza flavors reflects the mid-century evolution of Italian-American home cooking, where commercially produced mozzarella and jarred marinara simplified traditional Sunday sauces. Historically, baked pasta dishes like pasta al forno relied on regional cheeses and ragùs, but modern iterations adapt readily to whatever ingredients are available in the pantry. Gluten-free penne requires undercooking by roughly two minutes in boiling salted water because starch structures lack traditional gluten networks and soften rapidly during the secondary oven phase. Layering the ingredients inside an 8x8-inch baking dish ensures even thermal distribution when covered with foil at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty minutes. Removing the barrier during the final ten to fifteen minutes allows the provolone and mozzarella blend to develop a golden-brown crust through the Maillard reaction. Letting the casserole rest for ten minutes post-bake permits the internal starches to gelatinize fully, yielding clean slices rather than a loose scramble. Adjusting proportions for larger groups simply requires maintaining a consistent ratio of sauce to pasta to prevent dryness.
