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–+ servings
Meat lovers pasta bake with melty mozzarella, mini pepperoni and a drizzle of hot honey in a baking dish

Meat Lovers Pasta Bake

Cheesy rigatoni baked with Italian sausage, mini pepperoni and Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes, finished with a drizzle of hot honey.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 625

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb rigatoni pasta
  • 1 lb ground Italian sausage
  • 1 cup mini pepperoni plus extra for topping
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cans Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes 15 oz each
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
  • 2-3 tbsp hot honey plus more for serving
  • fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through. Drain excess grease if needed.
  3. Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  4. Pour in both cans of Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes. Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes.
  5. Add the meat sauce to the cooked pasta and toss until evenly coated. Stir in half the mozzarella, half the pepperoni and half the Parmesan until combined.
  6. Spread half of the pasta mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with some of the remaining mozzarella, pepperoni and Parmesan. Add the remaining pasta mixture, then finish with the rest of the mozzarella, pepperoni and Parmesan. Layer it like a lasagna!
  7. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  8. Drizzle with hot honey, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with extra hot honey on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 625kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 31gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 1330mgPotassium: 659mgFiber: 4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 290IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 416mgIron: 4mg

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