Cottage Cheese Protein Pasta (Print Version)

A creamy baked dish with cottage cheese, ground beef, and whole wheat pasta, offering a fulfilling and protein-rich meal.

# Components:

→ Pasta & Cheese

01 - 12 oz whole wheat penne pasta
02 - 2 cups full-fat cottage cheese
03 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
04 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Meat & Vegetables

06 - 1 lb lean ground beef (93% lean or higher)
07 - 1 medium onion, diced
08 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauces & Seasonings

09 - 2 cups marinara sauce
10 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
11 - 1 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Method:

01 - Set oven to 375°F and allow to fully preheat.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add whole wheat penne and cook until al dente, approximately 1-2 minutes less than package directions. Drain thoroughly and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water if needed.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, diced onion, and minced garlic. Cook until beef reaches 165°F internal temperature, approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
04 - In a mixing bowl, blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth and creamy.
05 - In a large baking dish, layer cooked pasta first. Distribute beef mixture evenly over pasta, then pour marinara sauce on top. Gently mix to combine.
06 - Spoon cottage cheese mixture over pasta and spread evenly with a spatula. Top with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan, ensuring complete coverage.
07 - Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling around the edges.
08 - Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It delivers a whopping 35 grams of protein per serving without tasting like gym food.
  • The cottage cheese creates an unexpectedly creamy texture that rivals traditional ricotta, and it's usually cheaper.
  • Everything comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can have this on the table before anyone gets hangry.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when all those flavors have gotten cozy together.
02 -
  • Undercooking the pasta by those extra couple minutes is the difference between a tender bake and one that tastes like warm mush, so don't skip this step even if it feels wrong.
  • Blending the cottage cheese and yogurt until completely smooth matters more than you'd think, because lumpy cottage cheese never fully incorporates and you'll get pockets of graininess.
  • Let the finished bake rest for those full five to ten minutes or everything will fall apart when you try to serve it, which I learned the hard way in front of company.
03 -
  • If your cottage cheese seems watery when you open it, strain it through cheesecloth for five minutes before blending to prevent the bake from becoming soupy.
  • Using a 9x13 inch baking dish gives you the perfect thickness, deep enough that everything bakes evenly without the edges overdrying.
  • Reserve that half cup of pasta water in case you need to loosen the cottage cheese mixture, since cottage cheese can set up thicker than expected depending on the brand.
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