High Protein Baked Ziti with cottage cheese and lean ground turkey, baked in a hearty marinara and topped with bubbly cheese. This healthier baked ziti packs 40 grams of protein and is perfect any night!
Why You’ll Love My Baked Ziti
I do love a hearty pasta casserole that’s quick to make like my no boil pasta bake, but I wanted it to be higher in protein. Meet high protein baked ziti!
It turned out even better than I hoped! My teenage boys went crazy for this cottage cheese baked ziti, and bonus for me – it so easy to prep. Perfect for busy weeknights or a comforting weekend dinner in the colder months.
Of course, I upped the protein with cottage cheese.:) I was a little worried it might curdle, but it only did slightly and didn’t affect the flavor at all. I just blended it with a bit of milk before mixing it right into the sauce.
Ingredients for High Protein Baked Ziti
- Ziti pasta: I like ziti because its tube shape holds onto sauce perfectly. You can easily swap it for any short pasta like penne, rigatoni, or macaroni, and gluten-free works too.
- Onion: Finely chopped onion builds flavor into the base.
- Ground turkey: Lean or extra lean turkey keeps the baked ziti with cottage cheese hearty but not heavy. You can swap in ground chicken, pork, or beef, if you’d like.
- Oil: To saute the onion and turkey.
- Marinara sauce: Homemade if you have time but I love the flavor of Rao’s marinara, because I do not have much time.:) Any store-bought sauce you enjoy works perfectly.
- Cottage cheese: I always use 2% cottage cheese because it makes a richer, creamier sauce, but non-fat cottage cheese should be OK although it might curdle a bit more.
- Milk: Any dairy or plant-based milk works, I used 3.25% dairy milk.
- Mozzarella cheese: Melts into gooey, bubbly perfection on top. I recommend to grate your own.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty flavor and blends into the sauce.
- Fresh herbs: I’ve always liked basil or parsley to garnish any pasta recipe. You can also use oregano or thyme.
How to Make Baked Ziti with Cottage Cheese
You’ll need a large, greased 9×13-inch baking dish to hold it all. You’ll find the full recipe card below.
- Cook the pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta until very al dente, then drain and return to the pot.
- Blend cottage cheese: Add cottage cheese and milk to a blender and process until smooth.
- Cook the turkey: Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet, saute the onion for a few minutes, then add ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Turn off the heat.
- Mix the sauce: Stir in the marinara, Parmesan, and blended cottage cheese, then pour the sauce over the pasta and mix gently.
- Layer the ziti: Spread half the pasta in the greased casserole dish, sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella, then top with the rest of the pasta and remaining mozzarella.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Placing the dish on a baking sheet can help catch any splatters.
- Finish and serve: Let the ziti sit covered for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with fresh basil.
Tips for Best Results
Here are my top high protein baked ziti tips.
- Undercook the pasta: Boil the pasta a minute or two less than the box says, so it’s really al dente. You want it a little firm because it’ll keep cooking in the oven.
- Use quality marinara: I wanted to keep the recipe simple without a bunch of extra seasonings, so pick a quality marinara you really like the taste of.
- Use full-fat dairy: You can use any cottage cheese or milk, but choosing higher fat means more creamy results.
- Let it rest: Give your ziti a few minutes after it comes out of the oven so the flavors meld, the sauce thickens, and it’s even more delicious.
Variations
- Swap the protein: Use ground chicken, beef, pork, or Italian sausage instead of turkey.
- Add veggies: Stir in spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, or bell peppers for extra color and nutrition.
- Go spicy: Add red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne to the sauce for a little heat.
- Different topping: Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, panko, or extra Parmesan for a crunchy topping.
- Add spices: Stir in Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder for an easy flavor boost.
Serving Ideas
Baked ziti pairs perfectly with crusty bread like Greek yogurt bread or cottage cheese biscuits and a fresh salad, or any simple side you like.
Lettuce Salad Recipe
Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan Cheese
Sauteed Peppers and Onions
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Freeze: I’m not a huge fan of freezing pasta since it can change the texture, but you can store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Warm it in the microwave or on the stove. Add a splash of water or broth to keep it saucy.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
- Ground turkey pasta bake
- Healthy chicken broccoli casserole
- Cottage cheese pasta
- Cottage cheese lasagna
- Baked chicken alfredo
High Protein Baked Ziti with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti pasta
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey, or extra lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons oil, for frying
- 23 ounces marinara sauce, I love Rao’s
- 16 ounces cottage cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons basil or parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F and spray bottom and sides of large 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large pot, add water and bring to a boil. Add salt and pasta, cook until very al dente. You want pasta undercooked. Drain and return to the pot.
- In a blender, add cottage cheese and milk, process until smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat large non-stick skillet and swirl oil to coat. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ground turkey and saute for 7 minutes, stirring and breaking into small pieces. Turn off heat.
- Add marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, blended cottage cheese and stir to combine. Pour over pasta in a pot and gently stir.
- To the baking dish add half of the pasta and level with the spoon, sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Add remaining pasta, level and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden. I recommend to possibly place baking dish on top of baking sheet to avoid splatters.
- Remove from the oven and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with basil.
- Serve hot with favorite side salad and crusty bread.
Notes
- Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in a microwave or on the stove with a bit of water or broth until heated through.
- Freeze: I do not love to freeze pasta because it changes texture but you can, if you wish. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Really good! Lots of flavor & love that it’s high protein. Thanks for the recommendation on Rao’s. Very good sauce. Would make again.
So glad you enjoyed it! Rao’s really does make a difference — happy it’s a keeper!
Nowhere in the recipe does it say to add the turket/onion mixture, so I added it as a layer over the pasta.
Step 5, you mix it with pasta.