Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake

Method

1. 1Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Cook the pasta in well-salted water for 2 minutes less than the package says — it will finish cooking in the oven and you want it firm going in. Drain and set aside.
2. 2If the cottage cheese is chunky, blend it briefly with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. This step is optional but it makes the cottage cheese completely invisible in the finished dish. Chunky cottage cheese stays visible and some people find the texture off-putting.
3. 3Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning and chili flakes and cook 1 minute. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up, and cook until no pink remains — about 7 minutes.
4. 4Add the spinach and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Pour in the marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the blended cottage cheese and stir until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt.
5. 5Add the drained pasta and stir to coat everything in the sauce. If the mixture looks dry, add a splash of pasta water. The pasta should be generously sauced — it will absorb more liquid as it bakes.
6. 6If using an oven-safe skillet, scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan over the top. Otherwise transfer to a greased 23x33cm baking dish first, then add the cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10–15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling at the edges.
7. 7Rest 5 minutes before serving. This helps the pasta bake hold its shape when scooped.