Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 3 tablespoons flour all-purpose
• 2  garlic cloves minced
• 1 pound ground beef lean
• 3 cups milk 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 0.5 medium onion chopped
• 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper 
• 0.8 teaspoon salt divided
• 8 ounce mozzarella cheese shredded
• 26 ounce tomato-and-basil pasta sauce 
• 16 ounce ziti pasta 

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• baking pan
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Saut chopped onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Add garlic, and saut 1 minute.
3. Add beef, and cook, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink.
4. Drain beef mixture, and return to pan. Stir in pasta sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
5. Cook pasta in a large Dutch oven according to package directions.
6. Drain and return to Dutch oven.
7. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
8. Pour sauce over pasta in Dutch oven, stirring until pasta is evenly coated.
9. Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top evenly with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.
10. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.
11. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.