Baked Beef Ziti

12oz. uncooked ziti

2 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

1/3 pound ground beef

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes

1 C. part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Cook pasta according to directions; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.

Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

This is a weight watchers recipe:

Point value: 7

Serves: 8

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