High Protein Pasta Bake
This hearty & cheesy pasta dish packs nearly 40 grams of protein per serving.
Servings: 8
Calories: 405kcal
Cost: $15
Ingredients
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 green pepper
- 1 pound 96/4 ground beef
- 24 ounce tomato sauce
- 60 grams turkey pepperoni about 34 pepperonis
- 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning divided into 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes *Optional-omit if you don't like any spice
- 12 ounces Banza penne pasta or other pasta variety
- 1 1/2 cups 2% cottage cheese
- 2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella divided into 1 cup + 1 cup
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion, garlic, and green pepper. Set aside.1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 green pepper
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add your ground beef. Cook the meat, breaking it apart as it cooks, until it is no longer pink. Remove the cooked meat from the skillet and set aside. Drain any excess fat or liquid.1 pound 96/4 ground beef
- Add the veggies to the skillet you cooked the meat in and cook until soft. The leftover meat juices should be enough to cook the veggies without any sticking.
- Into the skillet of veggies, add back the meat followed by the pasta sauce. Cut your turkey pepperoni into quarters and stir it into the sauce. Add half of the Italian seasoning, the salt & pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Stir thoroughly and let your skillet simmer on low heat while you prepare the pasta and cheese mixture.24 ounce tomato sauce, 60 grams turkey pepperoni, 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put a large pot of salted water on the stove on high heat and bring it to a boil.
- Add 12 ounces of dry pasta to the water and boil to al dente, about 5 minutes for the Banza pasta variety. If using a different pasta type, subtract one minute from the package directions to keep the pasta firm. Drain the pasta when the boil time is complete and set aside.12 ounces Banza penne pasta
- While the pasta cooks, you can make your cheese mixture. Add the cottage cheese, half of the mozzarella (1 cup), an egg, and the rest of the Italian seasoning to a bowl and stir.1 1/2 cups 2% cottage cheese, 2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella, 1 egg
- Take out a 9x13 baking dish and spray with a little bit of cooking spray. Pour 1/3 of your meat sauce in the bottom of the dish and spread it around evenly. Add half of the cooked pasta and spread it out, followed by half of the cheese mixture, and another 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat with the rest of the Banza, the rest of the cheese mixture, and the last of the sauce.
- Top the pasta bake with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle your grated parmesan on top.2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- Place your pasta bake in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top of your cheese is completely melted and starting to lightly brown. Then remove from the oven.
Video
Notes
This recipe uses 12 oz protein pasta. If using Banza, the boxes are usually 8 oz so you will 1 1/2 boxes.
Your layers will look sparse at first, but they will fill out as you go.
Cook the pasta al dente so it does not get mushy.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is good for up to 4 days. This reheats well for meal prep.
Nutrition
Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1204mg | Potassium: 625mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 713IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 327mg | Iron: 7mg
