Baked pizza pasta (Your new favorite pasta recipe)
I came up with this one on a whim. I had ground beef in the fridge, and Jeb and I were both craving the comfort of a baked cheesy pasta. I also love these sort of dishes, because they make for such great leftovers. I didn’t make this with the idea of “pizza” in mind, but I ended up using plenty of garlic, red pepper, onion salt, and oregano, and the first thing Jeb said when he tasted it was: “Oh my god, that tastes like pizza in a pasta”. AND IT DOES.
This doesn’t take much time to throw together, and you’ll be so glad you did, because I swear it tastes even better the next day.
This all gets baked in a pan with a cheesy, bread crumb topping, and it’s absolute heaven.
Baked Pizza Pasta
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-4 depending on appetites
Ingredients:
12 oz of your favorite dried pasta (I used rotini)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 lb ground beef (80/20)
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
6 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup frozen spinach (optional)
1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend (I use Balanced Bites), or a mix of dried oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary.
1 tbsp Super Garlic Pizza Blend from Balanced Bites (or sub in extra Italian seasoning + garlic powder + red pepper flakes)
1 cup bread crumbs
Salt & pepper for seasoning to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a 2-quart baking dish or 9x9 inch or 11x7 inch baking pan.
Make the pasta: Boil salted water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain, toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, and set aside.
Sauté the onions and garlic: Heat 2 tbsp of olive over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt, stirring for 3-4 minutes, then add in the garlic. Cook for another 3-4 minutes - don’t burn the garlic :)
Cook the beef: Add in the ground beef to the onions and garlic, cooking until browned. Once cooked, pour in the tomatoes and stir everything to combine. Season liberally with Italian seasoning and Super Garlic Pizza blend.
Make the cheese sauce: In a pan over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp of butter. Slowly whisk in the flour to create the roux. Once it thickens, begin stirring in the milk, and add in the 3/4 cup of the cheddar and 3/4 cup of the parmesan. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Combine everything: Pour the pasta into the cheese sauce, stirring to combine. Then mix in the beef mixture. Optional: add in the spinach. Pour this into your baking dish.
Add the topping: Stir together 2 tbsp of melted butter with 1 cup bread crumbs and the remaining cheese. Spread evenly over the top of the pasta dish.
Bake in the oven for roughly 15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
ENJOY! :)