Italian Casserole

Buon Appetito! In fact, with the Italian Casserole on the table, it’s going to be a great evening! This home-cooked favorite whisks you away to the sunny hills and marbled blue waters of Italy on a ship of bright, sweet tomato sauce, savory beef, and tender pasta shells. A magical melt of creamy mozzarella and provolone cheeses tops the Italian Casserole like a classical column of taste that amazes the eye and the tastebuds. Enjoy your culinary vacation to Italy! Salute!

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 cups medium pasta shells
3 plum tomatoes, sliced
3/4 cup provolone cheese, shredded
3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2 -In a large skillet, cook the beef and the onions over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.

Step 3 -Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 4 -Drain the fat from the skillet.

Step 5 -Stir in the spaghetti sauce, the diced tomatoes and their juices, the mushrooms, and the Italian seasoning.

Step 6 -Bring the beef mixture to a boil.

Step 7 -Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Step 8 -Cook the pasta shells to al dente, according to the package directions.

Step 9 -Drain the pasta.

Step 10 -Add the pasta shells to the beef mixture.

Step 11 -Gently stir in the plum tomatoes.

Step 12 -Transfer the beef mixture to an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish.