Using Pages instead of Word Processing in Ventura 3.1

The only way to force Pages to open with a new blank layout template is to suppress the template chooser and tell Pages to use that specific template.

Pages > Settings > General panel: ⦿ Use template: Blank Layout.

After you make these changes, a Pages launch will open to a new page layout document, and subsequent ⌘N will open a new page layout document.

Tested: Pages 13 and Ventura 13.3.1.

Every document be it Pages, or Word that you open in Pages will be a word processing style document unless that Pages document was already a page layout format document. Pages v13 provides a blank page layout template for that style of document. If you attempt to convert a word processing document to page layout, you will end up with a blank page layout document.

Give this a read: Pages User Guide for Mac - Apple Support