Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1 cup water, the onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the garlic powder, seasoned salt, sugar and bay leaves in a stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked and no pink color remains. Drain the fat from the meat, then add the ground beef to the stockpot and simmer for 20 more minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish with one-third of the sauce. Add half of the pasta, then one-third of each cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes.

Photograph by Kang Kim