Pepperoni Pasta Sauce

It’s a very popular pizza topping, but you can make other things with pepperoni, too. Such as this quick pepperoni pasta sauce recipe, based very roughly on Pepperonata (though that is vegetarian, and doesn’t contain the pepperoni). Pepperoni and pasta – why not?

This pepperoni pasta dish is ideal for busy weeknights, as it doesn’t take long at all to cook. It’s also made mostly from store cupboard ingredients. If you don’t have any fresh thyme, dried oregano also works very well.

You could make this as an easy pepperoni pasta bake, too, as with other pepperoni pasta recipes. Once you’ve added the pepperoni, herbs, black pepper and mushrooms, don’t bother with the 10-minute simmer. Instead, simply mix the sauce with cooked pasta at this stage before topping with sliced or grated mozzarella cheese. Then bake in a fan oven heated to 180 degrees (or equivalent) for about 20 minutes.

This pepperoni pasta recipe serves 4

Pepperoni pasta sauce ingredients

• Olive oil, for frying
• Red onion, 1, chopped
• Red pepper, 1 chopped
• Passata, 1 carton
• Tomato puree, 1 tbsp
• Pepperoni, sliced, 1 pack (about 120g)
• Button mushrooms, a few, sliced
• Black pepper, coarse or freshly ground, a pinch
• Rosemary, dried, 1 tsp; or fresh, 1 stem
• Thyme, dried 1 tsp; or fresh, a few stalks
• Basil, fresh, 1 stem (optional)

Equipment

• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Medium saucepan
• Wooden spatula

How to make pepperoni pasta sauce

• Heat a little olive oil, then fry the onion and red pepper for few minutes, stirring, until they start to soften. Add the passata and tomato puree, stir, then cook for about 10 minutes over a medium heat.
• Add the pepperoni, mushrooms, herbs and black pepper, stir, then continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so.
• If using, stir the basil leaves into the pepperoni sauce just before serving.

Serve this spicy pepperoni pasta sauce with the pasta of your choice.

Related recipes:

• Chorizo pasta sauce
• Meatballs with creme fraiche sauce
• BBQ beef mince bolognese
• Sweet chilli turkey pasta bake
• Tuna and sweetcorn pasta

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