There’s nothing more comforting than a hearty Italian dinner. This Supreme Spaghetti Pizza combines the best of both carb-o-licious dishes into one meal.
I’m always trying to think of creative ways to get our toddler to eat a variety of foods at mealtime. Surprise, surprise – he’s not too fond of vegetables – so this dish allows me to add some color to his plate without too much hesitation on his end. I mean… how can you resist this layer of ooey-gooey cheese?
As much as I’d love to make pasta sauce from scratch, it’s just not practical with two boys under the age of 4.
I’m constantly trying to entertain them as I cook, so we often opt for jarred pasta sauce. One trick that my grandmother taught me is to add ricotta or cream cheese to make the sauce taste homemade. It adds a layer of creamy richness that leaves a lasting impression on your tastebuds. I also like to incorporate a handful of fresh parsley and spices. Try this the next time you’re using a pre-made sauce from the store.
- 1 lb. Ground Sausage
- 1 lb. Spaghetti
- 24 oz. Pasta Sauce
- 15 ounces Fresh Whole Milk Ricotta
- ½ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped + more for garnish
- Dried Spices and Herbs (Basil, Red Pepper Flakes, etc), optional
- 2 cups Mozzarella, shredded
- 12-16 Pepperoni Slices
- ¼ cup Sliced Olives
- 2 tbsp. chopped Red Onion (about ¼ small onion)
- 1 Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 cup White Mushrooms, sliced
- Parmesan Cheese (optional garnish)
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional garnish)
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cook sausage over medium-high heat, in a skillet, until browned. Drain and set aside.
- Throw spaghetti into salted, boiling water and cook until al dente. Roughly 8 minutes.
- Once cooked, drain spaghetti and return to the pot. Add sausage, pasta sauce, ricotta and fresh parsley to the pot (+ dried seasonings, if desired). Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
- Pour sausage spaghetti mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with desired pizza toppings and bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese starts to brown. Optional: Garnish with more fresh parsley, parmesan and red pepper flakes.
This dish couldn’t be easier to put together.
Have fun with your kids and let them add the pizza toppings! From my own experience, our toddler is more likely to try something new if he helps prepare it. You could even split the topping surface in 4ths and do a variety of “pizzas”. Now that’s a nifty idea!
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