Ziti Baked Easy

By learen

Ingredients

• 1 pound ziti pasta
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 can Italian tomatoes (35 oz)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

PREHEAT oven to 350. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook ziti until barely tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well. Return ziti to empty pot.

IN a large skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat, stirring often to break up lumps, until meat loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and hot pepper; break up tomatoes with a spoon. Bring to a simmer.

POUR sauce over ziti in the pot. Add ricotta and stir to mix. Pour half of ziti mixture into a lightly oiled 3 quart casserole. Sprinkle on 1 cup mozzarella. Pour in remaining ziti and sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over top. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 40 minutes, or until casserole is bubbling and cheese has melted.