Pizza Pasta Casserole

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. + freezing Bake: 25 min.

MAKES: 16-20 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
• 1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta, cooked and drained
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces sliced pepperoni

• Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta.
  2. Transfer to two greased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese. Arrange pepperoni over the top.
  3. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
     Freeze option: Cool unbaked casseroles; cover and freeze up to 3 months. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake as directed, increasing time to 35-40 minutes or until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°. Yield:2 casseroles (8-10 servings each).

  Medium-Bodied Red Wine

  Enjoy this recipe with a medium-bodied red wine as Chianti, Sangiovese, Malbec or Zinfandel.