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Protein-Packed Pasta Bake

5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 -10 servings
Author: The American Patriette

Ingredients

  • 12 oz box of fiber-enriched penne pasta
  • 1 lb lean ground pork sausage
  • 1/2 sweet or yellow onion chopped
  • 24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce any flavor will do!
  • 14.5 oz can Italian style diced tomatoes undrained
  • 3 oz 2 handfuls fresh spinach leaves
  • 16 oz low fat cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 c grated Parmesean cheese
  • 8 oz light shredded Italian or mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions & drain.
  • While the pasta's boiling, begin browning meat in large skillet over medium heat. When the meat is halfway done cooking (half brown, half pink), add the diced onion and continue to cook until meat is completely brown and onions are soft - about 10 minutes.
  • Add spaghetti sauce and tomatoes and allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes.
  • In the meantime, in a separate bowl, mix together cottage cheese, egg, and Parmesan cheese until they're all fully blended. Set aside.
  • Add fresh spinach to spaghetti sauce and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring intermittently, until spinach wilts.
  • Very lightly coat the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish with a small amount (about 1/4 c) of the spaghetti sauce mixture. You just need enough on the bottom to prevent the pasta from sticking.
  • Evenly spread 1/2 pasta on top of spaghetti sauce layer. Add 1/2 cottage cheese mixture on top of the pasta, 1/2 of the remaining spaghetti sauce mixture on top of the cottage cheese, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese on top of the spaghetti sauce layer.
  • Repeat those same layers (minus the thin spaghetti sauce layer that we did at the beginning) with the remaining ingredients.
  • Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes.