Description
This Healthy Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake is a nutritious and flavorful dish that combines pasta, veggies, and creamy cottage cheese for a satisfying meal the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta:
- 3 cups penne pasta, dry (or other short pasta shape)
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups broccoli florets (about 5 ounces or 142 grams)
- 3 cups baby spinach (tightly packed! or 3 large handfuls)
- 2 cups cottage cheese, 2% MF (500 gram or 17 ounce container)
- 2 cups marinara (or other tomato sauce)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- Salt + pepper, to taste
- 5 large leaves fresh basil, chopped (to garnish)
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you wait, chop broccoli into florets and mince garlic.
- Cook pasta: Cook pasta to al dente, according to package instructions. Drain when finished.
- Sauté veggies: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high. Add minced garlic and broccoli florets, sauté for about 7 minutes. Add spinach and cook until it wilts. Remove from heat.
- Assemble: In a baking dish, combine cooked pasta, sautéed veggies, cottage cheese, and marinara sauce. Season with salt and pepper, then stir until well-combined.
- Add cheese: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top, coating the pasta evenly.
- Bake: Place baking dish in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned. Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
