Mexican Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• Whole wheat pasta

  Dry

  8 oz or 227g

• Ground beef

  80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw

  12 oz or 340g

• Dry taco seasoning mix

  Campbell soup company, pace

  2 tbsp or 5g

• Red bell pepper

  Sweet, raw

  1 cup, chopped or 149g

• Onions

  Raw

  1 cup, chopped or 160g

• Corn

  Sweet, yellow, raw

  ½ cup or 73g

• Ricotta cheese

  Part skim milk

  12 tbsp or 186g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice

  1 cup or 240g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Cheddar cheese

  ½ cup, shredded or 57g

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain well and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat and mist with nonstick spray. Add the ground beef and half the taco seasoning; cook, breaking it up, until mostly browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the bell pepper, onion, and corn; cook until the beef is fully cooked and vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
5. Off the heat, fold in the ricotta. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, salt, the remaining taco seasoning, and half of the shredded cheese; mix until evenly combined.
6. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
7. Bake until hot throughout and the cheese is fully melted, about 15 minutes. Rest 5 minutes before serving.