High-Protein Creamy Pasta Bake with Broccoli
So easy to prep and full of protein, this broccoli pasta bake is a true dump and bake! The protein boost here comes from blending cottage cheese into the sauce, I promise you can’t taste it–but you can easily swap for ricotta if preferred. Add this one to your midweek meal rotation for an easy to prep meal.
High-Protein Creamy Pasta Bake with Broccoli Ingredient Notes
Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is blended into the sauce to create a rich, creamy texture without the need for heavy cream. It adds a significant protein boost to the dish, making it more filling and balanced. The small curd version blends easily and incorporates smoothly with the broth. It’s a stealthy, nutritious upgrade that you won’t even taste.
Brown Rice Penne: Brown rice penne is a gluten-free pasta option that holds its shape well in baked dishes. It has a slightly nutty flavor that complements the creamy, herb-forward sauce. Cooking it directly in the sauce allows it to absorb flavor as it softens. Its hearty texture pairs perfectly with the roasted broccoli and melty cheese.
Frozen Broccoli Florets: Frozen broccoli is a convenient, nutrient-rich vegetable that softens as it bakes into the dish. It adds vibrant color and fiber, while breaking up the richness of the sauce. The florets also help add structure and texture to every bite. No need to thaw—just mix in and bake.
Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella cheese melts beautifully to form a golden, bubbling topping for the pasta bake. Its mild, creamy flavor pairs well with the tangy cottage cheese and the savory herbs in the sauce. Sprinkled on top and broiled, it adds that classic cheesy finish everyone loves. This final layer creates the perfect contrast of gooey and crispy textures.
High-Protein Creamy Pasta Bake with Broccoli
4-5
servings10
minutes35
minutesSo easy to prep and full of protein, this broccoli pasta bake is a true dump and bake! The protein boost here comes from blending cottage cheese into the sauce, I promise you can’t taste it–but you can easily swap for ricotta if preferred. Add this one to your midweek meal rotation for an easy to prep meal.
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Ingredients
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
16 ounces cottage cheese (4% milk fat small curd), blended until smooth
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounces dry brown rice penne
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 cups frozen broccoli florets (if using fresh chopped broccoli, add an additional 2/3 cup broth)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, additional for topping if desired
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish with oil.
- Add the broth, cottage cheese, lemon juice, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and ground black pepper to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the penne, broccoli, spinach, cottage cheese mixture, and parmesan cheese to the casserole dish. Mix well, until the penne is submerged in the liquid.
- Cover the baking dish with foil (or a lid) and bake until the pasta is just al dente, about 30 to 35 minutes (note different pastas act differently so adjust as needed).
- Turn the oven to high broil. Remove the foil covering and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top. Broil until the cheese is golden and bubbling, 4 to 5 minutes, taking care not to burn the cheese.
- Remove from the oven and let sit, covered, for at least 15 minutes (Don’t skip! this will help absorb excess broth and liquid from the broccoli). To serve, evenly divide among 4 bowls.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: From refrigerator, microwave until warm, about 2 minutes or heat in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, about 10 minutes. From frozen, thaw in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight, then heat as instructed.
- Protein: Add even more protein with some shredded chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. You could also add some cooked ground chicken or pork.
- Pasta: If using regular (not gluten-free) pasta, the cooking time may be about 10 minutes longer.
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I will this week need to get some gf pasta i am out. I was thinking of changing out the pasta for chicken. Your recipe looks amazing and will try it this week. Your recipe are beautiful 😍
My family loved this recipe! We have four children ages 8 to 15 and it is so rare to find a healthy recipe that they all love. They gobbled this one up with very few leftovers. Thank you! We will be adding this one to our rotation. I appreciated how easy it was.
I thought this was yummy! I had to cook it a bit longer. My 5 year old ate some minus the broccoli. Baked raw spinach doesn’t taste good to me so I would probably saute next time before adding it. The leftovers were not as great.
This was delicious! I judge recipes by whether or not I would make them again and I totally would make this again. This tasted great and was super easy to throw together and I was able to clean up after myself while it was cooking (which I love). Thanks for another great recipe Jenn!
So easy and delicious! I could not believe it! perfect for busy weekday nights
So good!!! Used regular pasta and baked it for an extra 8 minutes. Will def make again!
Okay so in the instructions you say to blend the cottage cheese with the broth but in the video they are added separately! That totally changes the consistency!! I have a soupy mess in my oven right now :/ I wish that step had been more clear in the written instructions.
Hi Lauren! There’s no difference in outcome between blending the cottage cheese with the broth or blending it separately, it all goes into the same baking dish so you can do either with the exact same result, no change to consistency whatsoever. It’s the same amount of liquid and the pasta should be covered completely in liquid when it goes into the oven.
Absolutely delicious! I added shredded chicken thighs for extra protein! Lots of flavor and perfect texture. Definitely will make this again.
Really good! I’m always a bit weary of the pasta bakes because I’ve had some bad experiences with the pasta not cooking well. This recipe is the best one I’ve tried! It was really satisfying and the flavors were great.
I added shredded chicken to this recipe for added protein. It was amazing! I will be making this again!
I’ve made this several times and love it! I was going to meal prep it for my postpartum freezer casserole stash but was wondering if you’d suggest to cook some before freezing it or just assemble it all without cooking for freezing.