Baked Mostaccioli Recipe

By polledl

I came across this recipe several years ago, and it has been a hit with my family ever since. My children especially enjoy the unique noodles! It's ideal to take to our church potlucks, because it serves a large group.—Darlene Carlson, Jamestown, North Dakota

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked mostaccioli
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 to 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 35mins
Cooking time 65mins

Preparation

Step 1

Cook mostaccioli according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, mushrooms, water, salt, sugar, basil, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Discard bay leaf. Stir in mostaccioli. Spoon half into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; layer with remaining meat mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover and bake at 350 ° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Chopped Onion Substitute
When there’s no time to chop onions, onion powder is one option. Substitute 1 tablespoon of onion powder for one medium chopped onion. For the best onion flavor, use frozen chopped onions or dried minced onion (found in the spice aisle). One tablespoon of dried minced onion equals 1/4 cup minced raw onion.