Best Italian Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 pounds ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jar 25 ounces spaghetti sauce (we buy Pomodero Fresco),
- 1 14-1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 3.8 ounces sliced black olives, drained
- 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pound Delallo Penne Ziti Pasta, cooked according to package directions; drained
- 5 plum tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil, thinly sliced or chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain, or I like to pat a paper towel on top to absorb any grease.
- Stir in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, olives, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, but do not rinse the pasta.
- Add pasta to beef mixture and gently stir in sliced plum tomatoes. Add in 1 cup of mozzarella cheese; mix together.
- Prepare a 13x9-in. baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer the pasta mixture to the baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. With a spoon, gently mix in the cheese, but not all the way, leaving some on top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through, uncovered.
- Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh basil and serve.