High Protein Baked Ziti
With 23 grams of protein and foolproof steps, this healthy cottage cheese baked ziti is one of those meals I keep coming back to when I want something easy but still cozy and filling. I first made this on a night when I didn’t want to do much and needed dinner to basically cook itself. Now, this high-protein baked ziti has become a dinnertime staple!
The chickpea pasta keeps it light but still satisfying, and the cottage cheese melts right in to make it extra creamy without a ton of effort. Plus, you don’t even have to boil the pasta or dirty up a large bowl!
Everything bakes together in one dish, which means less time cleaning up and more time just… chilling while it’s in the oven.
It’s a great meal prep option too: makes a big batch, reheats well, and you can freeze leftovers for later. Think comfort food, but with a little extra protein boost. This baked ziti recipe uses simple, wholesome ingredients that come together into something that tastes like it took way more work than it did.
If you loved this cozy one-pot dinner, you’ll also love my Viral Dumpling Bake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Beef: I like to use lean ground beef, 93% lean or leaner, to keep the protein content high and reduce the fat. If preferred, ground turkey or even ground chicken also work. Or, skip the meat completely to keep your pasta vegetarian-friendly.
- Pasta: I use chickpea pasta to keep this cottage cheese baked ziti gluten-free and higher in protein. Regular pasta is totally fine, too. Skip the lasagna noodles, and use a short or medium-sized pasta for even cooking. Ziti is my go-to, but penne, rigatoni, or even elbow macaroni work well, too.
- Marinara Sauce: Save time by using your favorite pre-made marinara sauce. Have leftover marinara? Save the remaining sauce or so to make high-protein bagel bites, cottage cheese pizza pasta bake, or viral high-protein ravioli casserole, too!
- Cottage Cheese: This replaces ricotta cheese in classic recipes, adding more protein while keeping a similar rich flavor and creamy consistency. Full-fat cottage cheese creates the best taste and texture, but any kind is totally fine. I recommend small-curd cottage cheese, so you don’t get large curds in the sauce. Ricotta works great here, too, if you want more of that classic baked ziti vibe that’s ultra creamy and rich.
- Cheese: Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese are the perfect finishing touch. I recommend buying blocks of cheese and grating them yourself for the best flavor and texture.
- Bone Broth: This cooks the pasta and creates a saucy consistency while adding a boost of protein and savory flavor you don’t get with water. If you don’t have bone broth, substitute beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth instead.
- Seasonings: I like to add couple teaspoons of garlic powder and Italian seasoning to give the sauce a little extra oomph. Feel free to adjust the spices to taste, adding salt and black pepper as needed. Or, include a dash of red pepper flakes or hot sauce if you like a bit of spice!
How to Make Healthy Cottage Cheese Baked Ziti
Step 1: Brown the ground beef over medium heat, and drain any excess fat.
Step 2: Stir the marinara sauce, cottage cheese, and seasonings in with the beef. Then, add uncooked pasta and bone broth, and mix to combine and coat the pasta.
Step 3: Transfer the pasta mixture to a greased baking dish, and sprinkle both the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly on top.
Step 4: Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the pasta is tender. Remove the foil, and broil the dish just until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Be careful not to let it burn!
Recipe Tips for the Best Baked Ziti with Cottage Cheese
Add veggies: Stir chopped spinach, zucchini, or mushrooms into the meat sauce before baking for an extra nutrition boost.
Don’t pre-cook the pasta: The beauty of making ziti baked in the sauce is that the pasta cooks right in, absorbing all the flavors as it bakes. Adding cooked pasta to the dish will cause it to become mushy. It also takes extra time!
Mix thoroughly before baking: Make sure everything—pasta, meat, sauce, cheese, broth—is really well combined before it goes in the dish. This helps everything cook evenly and prevents dry spots. For this baked ziti, thorough mixing helps get the creamy texture you want.
Blend the cottage cheese: For an even smoother consistency, use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend the cottage cheese before adding it to the sauce, similar to my cottage cheese mac and cheese. This removes any curds that can create a clumpy consistency.
Cover tightly with foil: A snug foil cover traps steam, which helps cook the pasta perfectly. If the foil is loose, the top might dry out too soon. Covering your ziti as it bakes is key to perfect results.
Broil with care: When you take the foil off to broil, stay close. The cheese will bubble up and brown quickly. 3-5 minutes max, depending on your oven, is usually perfect. Broiling the baked ziti gives it a golden finish.
Rest before serving: Let it cool for at least 10 minutes after baking. The sauce thickens, the cheese sets, and it makes for cleaner slices. Resting the ziti after baking keeps the layers intact.
Serving Suggestions
This baked ziti with cottage cheese is so filling that I often serve it on its own, especially if I include veggies in the marinara and cottage cheese mixture. However, if you want to bulk up your meal, you can never go wrong with a side salad and cottage cheese garlic bread or garlic pull-apart bread.
Make Ahead Option
Want to prep ahead? Assemble all the ingredients as usual, and spread the pasta mixture evenly in a baking dish. Cover the dish with foil, and refrigerate it overnight.
Then, when you’re ready to serve, bake as normal, adding a few minutes as needed for the pasta to become al dente. It’s the perfect easy weeknight dinner recipe!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
This healthy baked ziti recipe is great for meal prep!
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Let the ziti cool completely. Then, wrap portions in foil, or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. It will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Thaw frozen ziti in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat it in the oven at 350°F just until it’s warmed through. If the top begins to brown before the dish is warm, cover it with foil, and continue to bake until the pasta is heated through.
More Dinner REcipes
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High Protein Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 12 oz chickpea pasta uncooked
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- ½ cup cottage cheese blended
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup bone broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
Enable step-by-step mode- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a Dutch oven or large skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in marinara sauce, cottage cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Add uncooked pasta and 1 cup of bone broth. Mix thoroughly.
- Transfer mixture to a greased 9×13″ baking dish.
- Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove foil, broil for 5 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly
So yummy. How many servings does the recipe whole recipe make?
around 8-10 servings!
We loved this recipe! It’s definitely going to be a frequent go to recipe for us. I appreciate that it’s high protein and it’s so comforting. This is going to be the next recipe I make for a meal train!