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Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake

A delicious and healthy pasta bake featuring cottage cheese and a mix of fresh vegetables that the entire family will love.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta and Veggies
  • 3 cups penne pasta, dry Or any short pasta shape like shells or fusilli
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil Extra virgin for a fancier taste
  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced The more garlic, the better!
  • 2 cups broccoli florets About 5 ounces or 142 grams
  • 3 cups baby spinach Tightly packed
Cheese and Sauce
  • 2 cups cottage cheese, 2%MF Yup, that's a 500-gram or 17-ounce container
  • 2 cups marinara sauce Or any tomato sauce available
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella Cheesy goodness!
  • 5 large leaves fresh basil, chopped For garnish
Seasoning
  • to taste salt Sea salt for a fancy touch
  • to taste pepper Regular salt is fine too

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Chop the broccoli into florets and mince the garlic.
  3. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain it when done.
Cooking
  1. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and broccoli florets, sautéing for about 7 minutes.
  2. Add in the spinach and let it wilt down, then remove the pan from heat.
Assembly
  1. In a large baking dish, combine the cooked pasta, broccoli-spinach mix, cottage cheese, and marinara. Season with salt and pepper, and stir well.
  2. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly on top.
Baking
  1. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
  2. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

Notes

Feel free to add more cheese on top or toss in additional veggies like zucchini and peppers. A good quality baking dish is recommended.