Individual Sicilian Meat Loaves

Jared makes dinner every Wednesday night, and last night he made a new recipe we now love! It's from a cookbook called, "Anyone Can Cook" by Better Homes and Gardens. (Chef Gusteau was right! I'm sure you've all seen the movie Ratatouille.) He said it's the quickest meal he's made in a long time. It took longer to heat up the oven than put this together.

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 14 oz jar garlic and onion pasta sauce (1 3/4 c)
1/4 c seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
12 oz lean ground beef
2 sticks mozzarella string cheese
4 thin slices cooked ham
1 9 oz package fettuccini noodles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine egg, 1/4 c of the pasta sauce, the bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Add ground beef and mix well.

Cut each string cheese stick in half (width not length). Lay out a slice of ham; put a piece of string cheese on top at one end and roll it up inside the ham slice. Continue with all four pieces of string cheese, to create 4 cheese logs.

Shape 1/4 of the ground beef mixture around each cheese log to form a small loaf. Flatten the four meat loaves to 1 1/2 inches thick and place in a shallow baking pan.

Bake loaves, uncovered, in the oven about 20 min or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees F on a meat thermometer.

Meanwhile, prepare fettuccini according to directions on the box and drain well. Keep warm. In separate small saucepan heat remaining pasta sauce over medium heat until bubbly.

When meat loaves are done, arrange them over hot fettuccini and spoon sauce over top. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.