Easy Italian Ziti

Warning: Once your friends and family taste this, they’ll be asking you to make it all the time!

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 (24 ounce) jar low-sodium spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 ounces whole-wheat ziti or penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large skillet, sauté beef until it browns. Drain off the excess fat. Add spaghetti sauce and heat through.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley and garlic powder. Add cooked ziti and mix well.
4. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the dish. Spoon ziti mixture into the pan and top with remaining sauce and Mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.