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Amazing Cottage Cheese Baked Ziti: 1 Winner

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A delicious and creamy baked ziti recipe that uses cottage cheese for a lighter, high-protein twist on a classic comfort food.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ziti pasta
  • 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (16 ounce) container cottage cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook ziti pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, brown ground beef or turkey with chopped onion over medium heat. Drain off any excess fat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
  3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
  5. Spread about 1 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  6. Layer half of the cooked ziti over the sauce. Spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the ziti.
  7. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the cottage cheese layer.
  8. Repeat the layers with the remaining ziti, cottage cheese mixture, and mozzarella cheese.
  9. Pour the remaining meat sauce over the top layer of mozzarella cheese.
  10. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian option, omit the ground meat and add extra vegetables like mushrooms or bell peppers to the sauce.
  • You can add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a little heat.
  • If you prefer a smoother cottage cheese layer, you can blend it briefly before mixing with the egg and Parmesan.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://savoryskies.com/cottage-cheese-baked-ziti-recipe/