Baked Ziti - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef (ground chuck or ground round)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces ziti pasta or 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preparation

Saute ground beef, onion, and green bell pepper in a large skillet until onion is tender and beef is lightly browned.
Drain off excess fat; add tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Stir well; stir in ziti or elbow macaroni and 1 cup of the cheese; transfer to a 2 1/2-quart casserole. Top with the remaining cup of cheese.
Bake at 350\u00b0 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.