Ingredients:
12 ounces uncooked fiori pasta ( or any other type you want, like ziti, bow tie, or rotini)
nonstick cooking spray
2 cloves garlic, minced ( medium sized, larger if you want)
1/2 lb lean ground beef ( or 1/2 pound of Boca ‘ground beef’ or other beef substitute)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary ( If you have the leaf kind, be sure to crush it a little)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes ( or two 14.5 oz)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded ( more if desired. You can use other cheeses as well, like mozzarella)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. (while it is cooking, go to step 4)
Drain and set aside.
Spray a medium sized saucepan with the cooking spray, or if you want you can use a tsp of olive oil.
Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute or so over medium heat.
Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks, and drain the liquids. (If you are using a meat substitute, like Boca, you won’t have to cook it, just throw it in and add a few tablespoons of water) Keep the pan at medium heat.
Add the thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir to coat the beef, and cook for another minute or so.
Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil.
Then, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes (or until you are ready to place it into the dish) Spoon a small amount of the mixture into the bottom of a 4- quart casserole dish (this should be barely enough to cover the surface).
Top with half of the cooked pasta, and then layer half of the tomato mixture over the pasta, then layer half of the cheese.
Layer the remaining pasta on top, and top the pasta with the remaining sauce (the sauce may be liquidy, so just pour it on) and cheese. I always just use enough cheese to make each layer, so it is probably going to be more than the 1 cup.
Cover the dish with foil and bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. (During the last couple of minutes I take off the foil.)
Enjoy!
Servings: 5-6
Time preparation: 25 min.
Time total: 55 min.