Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (16 oz) Penne or Rotini pasta
- 24 oz jar of your favorite Marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup water or beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup sliced pepperoni (regular or mini)
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella log (sliced into rounds)
- 1 can (2.25 oz) sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for two minutes less than the package directions specify for “al dente.” The pasta will continue cooking in the oven, so you want it to have a firm bite. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- Stir the marinara sauce, water, oregano, garlic powder, and half of the pepperoni slices into the cooked pasta. Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated. Transfer the mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish and spread it out into an even layer. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese across the top.
- Take your fresh mozzarella slices. You can use a small ghost-shaped cookie cutter or simply use a knife to slightly pull and stretch the round slices into a “blob” shape that resembles a floating ghost. Place these cheese shapes on top of the pasta bake, spacing them out evenly.
- Take the sliced black olives and place two small pieces onto each mozzarella ghost to create “eyes.” You can use a straw to punch out tiny circles from the olive slices for a more precise look. Arrange the remaining pepperoni slices around the ghosts to fill in the gaps.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You want the sauce to bubble and the mozzarella ghosts to melt slightly so they look soft and ethereal, but do not let them brown too much or they will lose their ghost-like appearance. Remove from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes, and garnish with parsley before serving.
- Cook Time: 40 minutes