Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz ziti or penne pasta
- 1 lb lean ground beef or Italian turkey sausage
- 2.5 cups marinara sauce
- 1.5 cups cottage cheese, blended smooth
- 1 large egg
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook your pasta in boiling salted water, pulling it out 2 minutes before the package directions say. It should be very al dente since it will finish cooking in the oven.
- Brown your ground meat in a skillet until fully cooked. Drain it through a fine strainer to remove all fat and grease.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the blended cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until uniform.
- Stir the marinara sauce and drained meat into the cheese mixture, then fold in the cooked pasta.
- Pour everything into the greased baking dish and spread the shredded mozzarella evenly across the top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges are golden and bubbling. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Blend the cottage cheese completely smooth before mixing so you get a texture close to ricotta.
- Pull the pasta 2 minutes early to keep it firm after baking.
- Drain all fat from the meat to prevent the sauce from separating.
- Gluten-free or high-protein pasta works as a direct substitute.
- The egg mixed with cottage cheese creates a structured, custard-like binder when baked.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Halal
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 105mg