About
Cheesy Baked Penne is the epitome of a happy time in a dish! So much tender pasta coated in a homemade, herbaceous tomato sauce and then topped with a creamy, melty, tangy cottage cheese and parmesan mixture! With even more melty mozzarella mixed in, Cheesy Baked Penne certainly is joyous and delicious! This is a main course that goes quickly!
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) box fiber-and-calcium enriched penne
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- 1 sprig fresh basil, plus more, whole leaves, torn, for garnish
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (8-ounce) block part-skim mozzarella, 4 ounces grated and 4 ounces cubed, divided
- 1 (16-ounce) container 1% cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
- 1 (10-ounce) block frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 -Lightly coat a 2-2 1/2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3 -In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the penne and cook it to al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 4 -Drain the penne and set it aside.
Step 5 -In a medium pot over medium heat, add the olive oil.
Step 6 -Add the fennel seeds and the garlic to the hot oil and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 7 -Add the tomatoes and their juices, 1 of the basil sprigs, the salt, and the black pepper to the fennel mixture and stir to combine into a sauce mixture.
Step 8 -Simmer the sauce mixture, lowering the heat if it starts to bubble too vigorously, until the sauce has thickened slightly, the flavors meld together, and the raw tomato taste is cooked off, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 9 -Transfer the sauce mixture from the heat.
Step 10 -Remove and discard the basil sprig.
Step 11 -Season the sauce mixture with more of the salt and more of the black pepper.
Step 12 -Add the cooked pasta to the sauce mixture and toss to combine and coat.
Step 13 -Add 4 ounces of the cubed mozzarella to the pasta mixture and stir to combine.
Step 14 -Add 1/2 of the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
Step 15 -In a food processor, add the cottage cheese.
Step 16 -Cover the processor and process the cottage cheese until it is smooth.
Step 17 -Add the remaining grated mozzarella and the parmesan to the processed cottage cheese and pulse 2-3 times to combine.
Step 18 -Reserve 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture in a separate bowl, keeping the remaining mixture in the processor.
Step 19 -Add the spinach to the cottage cheese mixture in the food processor and pulse until the spinach is broken up and combine with the cottage cheese mixture.
Step 20 -Drop the spinach mixture by the spoonful over the pasta layer in the baking dish.
Step 21 -Evenly layer the remaining pasta and the reserved cottage cheese mixture, in that order, over the spinach mixture layer in the baking dish.
Step 22 -Bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden-brown on top, and the filling is heated through, about 30 minutes.
Step 23 -Let the baked penne stand for 10 minutes.
Step 24 -Serve topped with the extra torn basil leaves.
