Copycat Pizza Hut Meaty Marinara Pasta

I'd make this dish again and again, exactly like it's written.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword copycat, pasta

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Servings

Calories 486kcal

Place the ground beef in a medium sized bowl.
Add the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 the pepper, and all of the fennel seed. Using your hands, mix well.
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the beef mixture and cook, breaking it up, until cooked through. Remove the beef to a paper towel-lined plate.
Remove any excess grease from the pan. Add the oil. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Add the onion and cook for 1 minute.
Add the garlic and stir, continuing to cook until the onion is just starting to soften.
Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomato, Parmesan, basil, sugar, oregano and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Increase heat to medium, stirring often, until the sauce starts to bubble.
Stir in the ground beef mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low so the sauce simmers. Let cook 30-45 minutes, stirring often, until thickened.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often.
Drain the pasta.
Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with non-stick spray.
Add half of the pasta and spread it out evenly. Top with half of the sauce, spreading it out evenly also.
Add remaining pasta, again spreading it out evenly. Add the last of the sauce and and spread out evenly.
Preheat your oven broiler to high.
Sprinkle cheese over top of the dish, getting it from edge-to-edge.
Place the dish under the broiler and broil for 2-4 minutes, keeping an eye on it, until the cheese just starts to brown.
Remove and serve.