Baked Rigatoni and Meatballs

This is delicious, one of my favorites! It is a little more trouble to prepare, to make the meatballs, but well worth it. If you prefer you can make the meatballs with ground turkey or chicken instead of beef. An attractive dish.

Meatballs:
1 egg
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
1 pound ground beef

Pasta:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 green pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
1 can (28 oz.) stewed tomatoes
1 can (5 1/2 oz.) tomato paste
3 1/2 cups rigatoni pasta
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For meatballs: In a medium bowl, slightly beat egg, add onion, bread crumbs, garlic, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix to combine, then mix in the ground beef. Shape into small meatballs using around a heaping tablespoon of mixture for a meatball.

For pasta: Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown meatballs on all sides and remove. Cook in batches if necessary.

Drain excess fat from the pan. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, green pepper, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, plus 2 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes until vegetables are softened.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and meatballs. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Cook pasta and drain.

Add pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Transfer to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top, then the Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Makes 6 servings.