PEPPERONI PIZZA PASTA BAKE

PEPPERONI PIZZA PASTA BAKE 3-4 cups cooked pasta (spiral or elbows are my fav) 1 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce 4 oz cream cheese, softened Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 pound of ground beef 1/2 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 2 cups shredded cheese 8 oz pepperoni slices Parlsey, optional garnish In a small saute pan, add your oil, onion, ground beef and garlic & heat until browned, set aside. Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain out the water. Preheat oven to 350F Place the pasta sauce, cream cheese, salt, pepper,HALF the pepperoni slices and Italian seasoning in a bowl and mix until well combined. add in the beef mixture stir well. Add in the pasta and gently mix until fully coated. Pour the pasta into a casserole dish and cover with the shredded cheese. Sprinkle with additional Italian seasoning and place remaining pepperoni slices on top. Cover casserole dish with tinfoil and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted. You can remove the tinfoil for a couple minutes if you want to crisp up the cheese, or remove the dish from the oven once the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.