High Protein Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 16 oz ziti
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef (Or ground turkey or ground chicken.)
• 0.5 lb Italian ground turkey or chicken sausage (Raw with casing removed, or chopped fully cooked sausage.)
• 1 yellow onion (Medium, diced small.)
• 5 cloves garlic (Minced.)
• 5 cups marinara sauce (The author likes Rao's marinara or tomato basil sauce.)
• 0.5 cup water
• 0.3333333333333333 cup basil (Chopped small; more for topping, amount not specified.)
• 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning (For the sauce.)
• 0.5 tsp onion powder (For the sauce.)
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder (For the sauce.)
• salt (To taste; season the meat with a pinch, then adjust the sauce to taste.)
• black pepper (To taste; season the meat with a pinch, then adjust the sauce to taste. Also a pinch for the cheese layer.)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella (Divided: 1 cup for cheese layer and 1 cup for topping; more on top to preference.)
• 16 oz cottage cheese (Full fat.)
• 0.5 cup parmesan (Shredded or grated.)
• 0.25 tsp Italian seasoning (For the cheese layer.)
• 0.25 tsp garlic powder (For the cheese layer.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400°F (about 200°C).

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to the package directions, then drain and set aside.

3. 3

   In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic and diced onion. Cook for 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the onion begins to soften.

5. 5

   Add the ground beef and Italian sausage. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, and cook until the meat is just cooked through.

6. 6

   Reduce the heat to low. Add the marinara sauce, water, chopped basil, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.

7. 7

   Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more salt and black pepper as needed.

8. 8

   While the sauce simmers, put the cottage cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and a pinch of black pepper in a small bowl. Mix until combined.

9. 9

   Add the drained pasta to the meat sauce and mix until combined.

10. 10

    Spread half of the pasta mixture in the bottom of a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

11. 11

    Dollop the cheese mixture evenly over the pasta and smooth it so it mostly covers the layer.

12. 12

    Add the remaining pasta mixture, then top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella, or more to preference.

13. 13

    Bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Notes

The author suggests preparing the dish ahead and refrigerating it before baking. If baking from cold, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for 40–45 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted. Full-fat cottage cheese is recommended for a creamier result; low-fat cottage cheese also works. Pasta may be swapped for penne, rigatoni, cavatappi, fusilli, high-protein pasta, chickpea pasta, red lentil pasta, or whole-wheat pasta. Extra basil is mentioned as a topping, but no amount is specified.

Nutrition per serving

• dinner
• main dish
• baked
• high-protein
• comfort food
• Italian-American
• make-ahead