Brown meat, add onion and garlic, cook till tender. Add tomatoes, paste, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and bay leaf. Cover and cook slowly 1 hour. Remove bay leaf.
Cook 6 noodles until tender. Layer 3 noodles, meat sauce, and cheese, repeat for second layer.
Bake for 30 minutes.
May be made day ahead but will take longer to bake from refrigerator.