Baked Ziti

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb lean ground beef (ground chuck or ground round)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped, about 1/2 cup
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 ounces ziti pasta or 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Recipe

• 1 sauté ground beef, onion, and green bell pepper in a large skillet until onion is tender and beef is lightly browned.
• 2 drain off excess fat; add tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• 3 stir well; stir in ziti or elbow macaroni and 1 cup of the cheese; transfer to a 2 1/2-quart casserole. top with the remaining cup of cheese.
• 4 bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.