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1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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2
Boil pasta to just under al dente in well-salted water.
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3
Drain.
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4
Brown meat well in a skillet.
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5
Add spices and turn a few times.
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6
Add tomato paste.
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7
Fill the paste can with water a total of three times, adding each canful to the meat mixture.
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8
Simmer meat with its sauce for about 5 minutes, bubbling nicely, until slightly thickened.
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9
Cool.
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10
Cube cheese in approximately 1/2-inch dice.
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11
You can use a bit more cheese, if desired.
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12
Beat egg in a small dish.
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13
Crush Ritz crackers into fine crumbs in a Ziploc bag.
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14
You can use your hands, a rolling pin, pan, can, etc.
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15
Assembly:
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16
Take butter, which has been softened to room temperature, and butter an angel food bundt pan very very liberally.
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17
Pour in about 1/2 cup of Ritz crumbs.
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18
Rotate pan until all butter has been crumb-coated.
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19
Return any excess crumbs to the bag.
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20
Return cooled and drained pasta to the pot.
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21
Add cooled meat mixture, cheese, egg, and all but approximately 1/2 cups of remaining Ritz crumbs.
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22
Mix well with either your hands or a wooden spoon.
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23
Pour into the buttered and crumbed bundt pan, patting the mixture down slightly for density.
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24
Top with remaining crumbs and dot liberally with butter.
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25
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, so that casserole is hissing its cheesy, buttery sound and macaroni is looking crispy on top.
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26
Remove from oven.
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27
Let sit for at least 10 minutes, longer if you can wait.
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28
Run a knife around the middle cylinder and outer edge of the pan.
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29
Place a large round serving platter on top of the pan, and flip.
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30
Place on the counter.
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31
Gently tap the bottom of the pan until you feel the macaroni release, and gingerly remove the pan.
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32
If casserole looks like its starting to cave, let it sit inverted in the pan for another 10 minutes until it cools enough to set.
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33
Slice, serve with buttered peas and a tossed green salad.
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34
Then beat the rest of the family to the fridge for leftovers at midnight.
