Turkey Baked Ziti with Creamy Cottage Cheese Sauce
This Freezer Baked Ziti with Hidden Veggie Cottage Cheese Sauce is a creamy, make-ahead comfort meal that bakes up hot, bubbly, and ready for busy weeknights.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti or penne pasta
- 1 28 oz jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus extra for topping)
- 1 cup fresh spinach (packed)
- 1 small zucchini (roughly chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey (cooked and seasoned )
Instructions
- Start by cooking the pasta according to package. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just al dente — about 1–2 minutes less than the package suggests. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking while you prep the rest.
- Next, cook ground turkey on the stovetop and season with seasonings of choice. I use 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a blender, combine the marinara sauce, cottage cheese, spinach, and zucchini. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the blended sauce, shredded mozzarella, and cooked ground turkey. Stir until everything is evenly coated and well combined.
- Pour the pasta mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread it out evenly and top with extra mozzarella.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake at 375°F until hot and bubbly — about 40–45 minutes.
Notes
- Blend the sauce until smooth: This hides the veggies perfectly and gives the sauce a super creamy texture that doesn’t scream “health food.”
- Double the recipe and freeze one: If you're already making a mess, make it worth it! This is a great recipe to batch and freeze for future you to thank you later.
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