It’s all the delicious toppings you would put on a supreme pizza…but in a pasta bake. Get it? Clever? Ridiculous? After all, tomorrow is National Sausage Pizza Day (…come again?), so why not celebrate with pasta? I mean, this year is turned upside down anyways. Might as well start messing with our pasta bakes.
Now everyone does their supreme pizza (sometimes also known as deluxe pizza) differently. However, in our little home, supreme pizza is always our go-to pie to order. Mostly because of the three key elements: Italian sausage, green bell pepper, and onion. For us, that’s a classic pizza combo.
But like I said, every pizza shop does their supreme pizza a little differently. Some include black olives (*gag*), others include mushrooms (into it). So I kind of took a little bit of this and a little bit of that from different supreme pizzas I researched, and threw in all the things that sounded good to me. Or, to be a bit more transparent, what ingredients I had in my fridge.
So, what are the ingredients in my supreme pasta bake? Ah, let me tell you.
- Italian sausage (or Italian-style chicken sausage)
- Green bell pepper
- Onion
- Pepperoni
- Mozzarella
- Ricotta
Again, if you want to throw in some black olives or mushrooms, I’m not stopping you. It will have that similar taste you love. But for my supreme pasta bake, I was going for a few of the classics.
Except…ricotta cheese. I know that’s not a normal supreme pizza topping, but what pasta bake doesn’t have ricotta cheese, right? Case closed.
This casserole is perfect for two. It’s part of my 8×8″ casserole series, where I’m focusing on casseroles to make for a smaller crowd. The crowd size of, well…two. We literally split this casserole down the middle and ate the whole thing on Wednesday night.
I started off the series with this Chicken Tortellini Bake. Clearly me and pasta are having a moment.
Also, just a small note: I did use Banza Chickpea Pasta Shells for this recipe. Regular small shells will also totally work fine, but if you’re looking to boost your fiber and protein intake, I highly recommend it.
And of course, snag yourself a pretty 8×8″ pan. Here’s one similar to mine!
Supreme Pasta Bake
Equipment
- 8×8" casserole dish
Ingredients
- 4 oz. small pasta shells
- 2 Italian pork or chicken sausage links diced
- 1 small yellow onion sliced thin
- 1 small green bell pepper seeded & sliced thin
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 10 pepperoni slices diced small
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 2 oz. fresh mozzarella diced into small cubes
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- Salt & pepper for seasoning
- Red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, sprinkle in some salt then add in the pasta shells. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain.
- While the pasta is boiling, heat up a small sauté skillet with the teaspoon of olive oil. Add in the diced sausages, onion, and green bell pepper. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes—the vegetables should be soft.
- Remove the sausage and vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add in the cooked pasta, pepperoni slices, the marinara sauce, and 1/2 of the fresh mozzarella. Mix until combined.
- Move the sausage & pasta mixture to the casserole dish. Add dollops of the ricotta cheese to the top and sprinkle with the other 1/2 of fresh mozzarella.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. The cheese should be melted and the sauce should be bubbling.
- Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve warm.
What kind of casserole should I try making next? Share below!
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