Baked Ziti

Well, I love pasta & was wanting something just a little different then your normal spaghetti with meat sauce. This was a pretty good recipe. The hubs gave it better reviews than I did. I do think it needs the tomato sauce (I didn't have any, so I did 2 cans of diced tomatoes). I also would increase the garlic & probably buy the oregano, basil, garlic tomatoes if I make this again.

Serves 6

1 pound lean ground beef (ground chuck or ground round)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces ziti or elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided


Sauté ground beef, onion, and green bell pepper in a large skillet until onion is tender and beef is lightly browned. Drain off excess fat; add tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 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. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.