Baked Italian Nachos

These meaty, cheesy Baked Italian Nachos put a Mediterranean twist on the classic appetizer with herbs, ricotta, peperoncini, and pasta chips!

You all know I get pretty psyched when my monthly Degustabox arrives. This fun food subscription box always has a great variety of ingredients and snacks. You may have seen my haul when I posted it on Instagram...

My son was very excited about all the yummy goodies. But he was most interested in checking out the pasta chips. Have I mentioned he is a pasta fiend? Oh, and also a chip lover. The idea of pasta chips kinda blew his mind!

(By the way, see that hummus that I got in my Degustabox? It's called Hummustir and it's super yummy and you can get 20% off now at Amazon using the code: FRESH020)

I decided to take a classic appetizer—nachos—but put an Italian spin on them. So, instead of Tex-Mex ingredients like salsa, jalapenos, and cilantro...I used Mediterranean ingredients like marinara sauce, peperoncini, and parsley. I also replaced the sour cream with ricotta. And, of course, the pasta chips in place of tortilla chips!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of ground beef (or ground turkey or sausage)
• 1/2 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped*
• 1/2 onion, chopped*
• 1/3 cup marinara sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• a couple pinches of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 
• 1 bag (5 oz) pasta chips
• sliced peperoncini
• sliced olives
• chopped parsley
• ricotta cheese

 *reserve a little bit to sprinkle over the cooked nachos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the ground beef, stirring and breaking it up, until it is fully browned and no longer pink. Add the peppers, onions, garlic, and marinara sauce  and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

While the meat mixture is simmering, arrange the pasta chips in an oven-safe pan or casserole dish (I used a 12" cast iron skillet). If you want to double the recipe, you can make the nachos on a sheet pan. Arrange the chips in a single layer, with some overlap so there are no bare spots in the pan.

Spoon the hot meat mixture over the pasta chips. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the chips and meat and place in the preheated oven.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted. Serve immediately, topped with the reserved chopped onions and peppers, slices of olives and peperoncini, chopped parsley, and a generous dollop of ricotta cheese. These Baked Italian Nachos are so good!

Thanks to Degustabox for introducing us to Pasta Chips! Check out some of our other Degustabox-inspired recipes:

Chipotle Fried Egg Avocado Toast 

Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup

Easy Avocado Egg Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links, so if you buy something you'll be helping to support this blog—but it won’t cost you any extra!*