Cottage Cheese Baked Ziti Recipe
I’ll never forget the first time I made this cottage cheese baked ziti recipe. I was trying to impress my now-husband’s family and I completely forgot to drain the cottage cheese. The whole thing came out of the oven a watery, soupy mess. His sweet grandma took a bite, smiled, and said “It’s very… moist, dear.” I wanted to crawl under the table. But that disaster taught me everything, and now it’s my most requested dish for family gatherings.
Recipe Card
| Recipe Title | Cottage Cheese Baked Ziti Recipe |
|---|---|
| Servings | 6-8 people |
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 40 minutes |
| Calories | Approx. 420 per serving |
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef (or Italian sausage)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24-ounce) jar of your favorite marinara sauce
- 1 (16-ounce) container whole milk cottage cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
The cottage cheese is the star, but don’t just grab any kind. I used fat-free once thinking I’d be healthy and the filling was so grainy and sad. Whole milk gives it the best creamy texture. And for the love of all that is good, drain it if there’s a lot of liquid in the container. I learned that the hard way with my infamous “soup ziti.”
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grab a 9×13 inch baking dish and just give it a quick spray with non-stick stuff.
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to the package directions, but for heaven’s sake, stop at al dente! It’s going to keep cooking in the oven.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef (or sausage) and garlic to the skillet. Cook it up until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up with your spoon. Drain off any excess grease.
- Stir in the entire jar of marinara sauce into the meat mixture. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes so the flavors can get to know each other.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, egg, parsley, 1 cup of the mozzarella, the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. This is your creamy filling.
- Drain the cooked ziti and return it to the big pot. Now, add the meat sauce and the cottage cheese mixture to the pot with the pasta. Gently stir everything until it’s all combined.
- Pour half of this ziti mixture into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle one cup of mozzarella over this layer. Then, add the rest of the ziti mix and top it with the final cup of mozzarella.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then, take the foil off and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or
Cottage Cheese Baked Ziti Recipe
A creamy, comforting baked ziti with a secret ingredient that makes it incredibly rich and satisfying. Perfect for family gatherings and guaranteed to become a favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef (or Italian sausage)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (16-ounce) container whole milk cottage cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook ziti according to package directions until al dente.
-
While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
-
Add ground beef and garlic to skillet. Cook until meat is browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain excess grease.
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Stir marinara sauce into the meat mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes to combine flavors.
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In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, egg, parsley, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
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Drain cooked ziti and return to pot. Add meat sauce and cottage cheese mixture to pasta. Gently stir until combined.
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Pour half of the ziti mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella over the layer. Add remaining ziti mix and top with final cup of mozzarella.
-
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Nutrition (Per Serving)
Calories420Fat18gCarbs42gProtein28gFiber3gSugar8gSodium0mgCholesterol0mg
