Pasta Bake

Do you know what’s better than a tasty pasta dish? Baked pasta with LOTS of cheese! This easy baked pasta dish combines baked ziti and lasagna for the ultimate comfort dish.

Ingredients

• 2 boxes of your favorite pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1 pound of lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 ½ cup of marinera sauce
• 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9” by 13” baking dish
2. In a large pot, boil two boxes of pasta (following the box instructions)
3. Before draining the pasta, save one cup of pasta water
4. Drain the pasta, then add the pasta to the prepared baking dish
5. In a large pan or skillet, add the olive oil and diced onion
6. Cook the onion down for 5 minutes, then add the diced tomatoes and tomato pasta
7. Allow that to cook for 3-5 minutes before adding the lean ground beef
8. Once added, sprinkle the seasonings over the ground beef
9. Cook the meat over medium-low heat for 7 minutes until browned
10. Then, add the cup of pasta water and the parmesan cheese
11. Stir together until cheesy, then spread the mixture over the pasta in the baking dish
12. Use a spoon to evenly spread the mixture to ensure that there is both meat and pasta in every bite
13. Next, spread the marinera sauce over the top of the pasta (do not stir in)
14. Layer mozzarella cheese over the pasta, then place in the oven for 20 minutes
15. After 20 minutes, broil on high for 5 minutes until the cheese is golden
16. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil