| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 6 servings, serving size 2 1/2 cups |
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole-wheat penne
- 1 1/2 cups small-curd low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (3/4 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and parsley in a bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate and set aside. Cook pasta until tender but still firm, a minute or 2 less than the package directs. Drain.
- Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Return pasta to pot with sauce and turn off heat. Add cottage cheese mixture.
- Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray then transfer pasta mixture to pan. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 minutes.
- Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium
- Good source of: Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Copper, Manganese, Selenium, Zinc
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 540 |
| Total Fat | 15 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 7 grams |
| Cholesterol | 35 milligrams |
| Sodium | 860 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 73 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 grams |
| Protein | 30 grams |
Reviews
Great recipe! I did use extra tomato sauce as suggested. Super creamy and healthy pasta dish. Will definitely be making this again. Love your recipes Ellie!!
Bland, bland, bland! Threw most of it out after choking it down for 2 days – just so we didn’t waste all those ingredients.
This dish is deceivingly simple in its description: a vegetarian four cheese penne bake with tomato sauce. I am giving it five stars though, because, with one small change, this healthy recipe tastes like an amazing scratch-made roasted tomato sauce that my boyfriend has been raving about for days. As another reviewer suggested, you need to double the canned tomato sauce! I can definitely see how this could be dry with only 8 oz. of tomato sauce, especially when you consider re-heating leftovers. The one change doesn’t add many extra calories. Otherwise, I followed the recipe to the letter. The crushed red pepper (and a couple extra garlic cloves) is a must to get that deep roasted tomato flavor. I don’t normally like cottage cheese, but the texture isn’t an issue once its baked into the sauce. Great basic recipe that can easily take modifications and add-ins! As a dietitian, I appreciate Ellie’s healthy, balanced, and tasty recipes. I just wish her show was still airing!
This is a tasteless dry dish. I made this for a party and was embarrassed to serve it after taking the first scoop out of the pan. Don’t waste your time in making this.
this came out sooo good but i put mine in the crock pot for 4 hrs. instead of the spices i just add one tablespoon of spicy spaghetti seasoning. fry the onion n garlic and add the sauce and seasoning cook for 10 min. toook it off the stove and add the cheees mixture to the sauce. put about about a cup of sauce mixture at the bottom of the crockpot and add the uncook penne to the pot layer it with the sauce. you add add i cup of water around the edge of pot to help the penne to cook. the last hour i add sliced zuclinni and top with the remaining cheese.
Tastes great!!
Yum! Such a tasty meal, but it tastes even better knowing that it’s healthy too!
My family loved this recipe. Couldn’t even tell it was a “healthier” recipe. Yum! Would make again and again.
I LOVE IT! All my familily loves pasta we eat it 2 or 3 times a week… I didn’t bake the 2nd time I did it because the first time was just too dry after baking anyway I just served it from the pan to the plate after cooling down a little bit all the sauce is not runny anymore…..it was just right.
This was really good, but somewhat time consuming, which is why I didn’t give it 5 stars. I’m not sure I’d keep it on my weeknight rotation, but it would be fantastic for weekends. I don’t really like ricotta, so I used all cottage cheese. My two boys, ages 5 and 3, both loved it too. I think you could sneak some carrots into the sauce as well, and that would be delicious.