Baked Ziti and Meatball Casserole

Great recipe fo serve a bunch. If you have meatballs and tomato sauce Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce waiting for you in the freezer;it is fast to prepare.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta, substitute penne pasta
• 4  cups tomato sauce
• 1  large egg
• 1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2  tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
• 1  tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  . fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 12  lean  meatballs, thawed and sliced
• 1  cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. In saucepot, prepare pasta as label directs in boiling salted water, drain. Return pasta to saucepot.
2. Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, heat tomato sauce, covered, until hot over medium-low heat. (If tomato sauce is frozen, add 2 tablespoons water to saucepan to prevent sorching). Add 3 cups sauce to pasta in saucepot, toss well. Reserve remaining 1 cup sauce.
3. In medium bowl, stir together egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Into 3 1/2- to 4-quart shallow casserole or 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish, spoon half the pasta mixture, top with all the sliced meatballs. Drop ricotta-cheese mixture by spoonfuls evenly over meatball layer. Spoon remaining pasta mixture over ricotta-cheese layer, then spoon remaining 1 cup sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake, uncovered, 60 minutes or until very hot and cheese browns slightly.