Easy Party Baked Mostaccioli

Ingredients

1 lb. mostaccioli or favorite pasta   
 8 ox. shredded mozzarella              

Filling

1 lb. Ricotta cheese
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp. Italian seasonings
½ tsp. pepper
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Simple Sauce:

1 lb. Ground beef
29 oz. can tomato puree
15-16 oz. can special tomato sauce Exp. (diced tomato, green pepper, onion)
6 oz. can tomato paste
6 oz. water
1 Tbsp. Italian seasonings
1 tsp. season salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. black pepper

Directions

For sauce, brown ground beef and drain off fat. In large pot, add all ingredients for sauce, including ground beef and stir. Simmer, uncovered, for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.

For filling drain excess water from Ricotta cheese. Put filling ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well.

Cook pasta by following directions on box and cook until they are just tender, but do not overcook. After pasta is cooked, remove from pot and run under cold water until noodles are cold, then drain.

Use an oblong baking dish or big aluminum pan at least 2 ½  to 3 inches deep. Spray bottom of pan with vegetable cooking oil.. Add thin layer of sauce, then ½ of the pasta, then filling, another thin layer of sauce, then the other ½ of pasta, Mozzarella cheese, and thick layer of sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

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