Beef-and-Pasta Casserole

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rotini pasta
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (28 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, broken
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar (5 oz.)

Preparation

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a bowl, mix bread crumbs and Parmesan; set aside.
2. In a 3-quart ovenproof pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, add ground beef and cook until beef is well browned, about 7 minutes. Scrape beef into a colander to drain off excess fat. Wipe out pan and return beef to pan; reduce heat to medium.
3. Preheat broiler. Stir tomatoes, salt, oregano and pepper into beef and cook for 3 minutes. Add reserved pasta and mix. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to heat pasta. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar.
4. Top pasta with reserved bread-crumb mixture and cook under broiler until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.