High Protein Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake

Creamy, cheesy, and packed with protein, this is an easy weeknight dinner that feels like comfort food.

Ingredients

12 oz pasta, preferably chickpea or high-protein pasta

1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey (optional)

2 cups marinara sauce

1½ cups cottage cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella

½ cup grated Parmesan

1 egg

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp garlic powder

Salt & pepper, to taste

Optional: spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, or red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Drain.

Brown the meat in a large skillet. Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for another minute.

Make the creamy filling: Blend cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth.

Combine: Stir the pasta, marinara and cooked meat together. Fold in the cottage cheese mixture.

Bake: Transfer to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Top with mozzarella and bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

Let it sit for 5 minutes, then serve.

Easy shortcut: Skip blending the cottage cheese if you don't mind a little texture. Just mix it directly into the pasta mixture.