Pepperoni Penne Casserole

🧂 Ingredients

• 16 oz. pkg. Ronzoni gluten free penne pasta

  or other tube pasta (you can also use regular pasta)
• 2 1/4 lbs. 96% lean ground beef
• 48 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

  your favorite (two 24-ounce jars)
• 2 cups Mozzarella cheese

  shredded
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms

  sliced
• 1 small onion

  chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper

  chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach

  packed
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic

  minced
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seed
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup parmesan cheese

  grated
• 2.5 oz. miniature sliced pepperoni

  (I used 5-oz. but you may find this too much)

Instructions

• 1 Cook pasta according to package directions.
• 2 Meanwhile, brown beef in a large Dutch oven.
• 3 Use a hamburger chopper to cut the meat down in small pieces while frying.
• 4 If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
• 5 Brown beef, then add mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and garlic and sauté a few
  minutes until veggies become tender.
• 6 Stir in spinach and cook an additional minute or two.
• 7 Drain any grease.
• 8 Add 4 cups spaghetti sauce, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, Ricotta cheese, Italian
  seasoning, red pepper flakes, fennel seed and pepper.
• 9 Stir to combine.
• 10 Add cooked and drained gluten free pasta and stir again.
• 11 Pour mixture into a greased 9x13” glass baking dish.
• 12 Pour remaining 2 cups of spaghetti sauce over top of beef/pasta mixture.
• 13 Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, then remaining cup of Mozzarella cheese.
• 14 Top with miniature pepperoni slices.
• 15 Cover with foil and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• 16 Remove foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese melts.

Nutrition Info