Baked Beef Ziti

By á-24743

Ingredients

• 12 oz. uncooked ziti
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 pounds uncooked lean ground beef
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3-5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.

Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving