BAKED ZITI WITH GROUND BEEF

Ingredients

• 12 oz ziti
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1⁄3 lb lean ground beef
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 can (20 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Prep 20 min Cook 50 min Ready 70 min
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook ziti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add ground beef, season with salt and black pepper, and cook, breaking up the meat, for 3 to 5 minutes until browned. Drain off excess fat and place the pan back over medium heat. Stir in rosemary, oregano, and thyme and cook until the herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. In a 4 quart casserole dish, evenly spread out just enough meat sauce to cover the bottom. Layer with half of the cooked ziti, half of the remaining meat sauce, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serves 8

Per serving: 7 SmartPoints; 7 PointsPlus