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Some nights just need a bowl of cheesy baked pasta. This recipe hits every comfort food craving without wrecking your macros. It’s creamy, saucy, satisfying — and it packs 35g of protein per serving thanks to the cottage cheese swap and lean turkey.

I’ve been making this on repeat for easy meal prep dinners, and it disappears faster than I expect every time. It’s that good.

You start with your favorite high-protein pasta — chickpea or lentil-based works great here. Boil it just until al dente so it doesn’t get mushy in the oven.

While that’s cooking, brown up some lean ground turkey in a skillet. Toss in garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, and your kitchen instantly starts smelling like an Italian grandma moved in. (The good kind of grandma. The one who meal preps.)

Then, in a small bowl, you mix your low-fat cottage cheese with an egg. This combo creates a creamy layer that bakes into something magical — like a lighter ricotta that happens to be packed with protein.

Now comes the fun part: layering.

In your baking dish, you spread half the pasta. Then half the turkey. Then half the sauce. Then spoon on that creamy cottage cheese mixture. Repeat. And top the whole thing off with shredded mozzarella. You already know it’s going to bubble.

Pop it into the oven covered with foil, and in about 25 minutes, the cheese starts melting and the layers begin to fuse. Take off the foil, let it go another 10 minutes, and BOOM — golden, cheesy, steamy pasta perfection.

Let it rest (if you can wait), then dig in.