High-Protein Baked Ziti With Cottage Cheese Recipe
Prep Time:
5 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour
Servings:
6 servings
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces dried ziti pasta
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 white onion, finely diced
  • 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
  • ½ pound semi-lean ground beef
  • ½ pound lean ground pork
  • 1.5 pounds tomato passata
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon chile flakes
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 12 ounces cottage cheese
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon garlic granules
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
  2. Snap the ziti pasta into smaller pieces and cook it according to the package's instructions until al dente.
  3. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  5. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-proof pan over a medium-high heat.
  6. Saute the onions and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Add the ground beef and ground pork to the pan.
  8. Brown for 3 to 4 minutes.
  9. Add the tomato passata, tomato puree, beef stock, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, chile flakes, sugar, and salt and pepper to the pan.
  10. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.
  11. Meanwhile, add the cottage cheese, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, garlic granules, and dried oregano to a bowl.
  12. Mix to combine.
  13. Mix the ziti pasta into the meat ragù in the ovenproof dish.
  14. Mix half of the cottage cheese mixture into the pasta and ragù.
  15. Top with the remaining cottage cheese mixture and the remaining grated mozzarella.
  16. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden and crispy.
  17. Serve the pasta hot.