Baked Macaroni

This has to be a classic. This little book wouldn't be complete without my mother-in-law's recipe. Everyone loved it. I have never seen this dish in any restaurant and many people have never even heard of it. I'm sure it came from her mother who was from Sicily. This is a rather sweet sauce but you can control this by adding less sugar. It is really great if it has sugar.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground chuck
4 T. of butter
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 cup of water or more if needed
2 large cans of tomato puree 28 oz.
1 pound of penne or other short ribbed pasta
1/3 cup each of chopped fresh parsley and basil
1 pound of shredded Swiss cheese
salt and pepper about 1 tsp. each
sugar I start with about a 1/2 cup

Instructions

In a large sauce pot over medium heat brown the ground chuck, drain off water or fat
Add the butter and mix till butter has melted.
Add the tomato paste, stir till well blended
Add the 2 cans of tomato puree and salt and pepper
Add more water if mixture seems too thick
Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar and cook for 30 minutes then test for desired sweetness
Cook for another 30 minutes
While sauce cooks, bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt and pasta and cook till still firm, about 7 minutes, drain well and add about 1 1/2 cups sauce to pasta
Spray a large foil pan (the kind you get at the Dollar Store) and add sauce to the bottom of the pan
Add and layer of pasta, a layer of Swiss cheese and more sauce
Repeat till sauce and cheese are all used, save some sauce for the top
Cover the casserole and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes till bubbly
Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer till top is brown

Notes

I use the foil pans that are about 9 x 12 and 4 inches high. They are slightly tapered towards the bottom. Because you are using a whole pound of grated cheese the pan should be deep.