Skillet Beef and Rigatoni Bake with Herbed Cottage Cheese Sauce and Roasted Broccoli
Hearty rigatoni tossed with seasoned 93/7 lean ground beef, rich marinara, and a smooth herb-blended cottage cheese sauce, baked under melted mozzarella with roasted garlic broccoli.
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Total: 45 min
- Servings: 6
- Cuisine: Italian
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: $5.34/serving
Dietary
- High-Protein
- Nut-Free
- Egg-Free
- Soy-Free
Tags
- bake
- comfort food
- rich
- crowd-pleaser
- fresh
Ingredients
- 2 pound ground beef (93/7 lean)
- 16 ounce cottage cheese (whole milk or 2%)
- 12 ounce rigatoni pasta (uncooked)
- 24 ounce marinara sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 pound broccoli (cut into bite-sized florets)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.75 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni pasta for 10 minutes until al dente, then drain.
- Toss broccoli florets on a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Roast in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes until tender and lightly charred at the edges.
- In a food processor or blender, blend cottage cheese with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper until completely smooth and creamy.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in an oven-safe large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it apart, until fully browned and cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir the marinara sauce, blended cottage cheese mixture, and drained rigatoni directly into the skillet with the beef until thoroughly combined.
- Top the pasta evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese and transfer the skillet to the 400°F oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is completely melted, bubbly, and lightly golden. Serve warm alongside the roasted broccoli.
Notes
Blending the cottage cheese yields a silky, cream-like texture that enriches the sauce while packing extra protein.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories: 690
- Protein: 55.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.3 g
- Fat: 25.5 g
- Fiber: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 1543 mg
- Saturated Fat: 9.9 g
- Sugar: 11.3 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg