Creamy Cottage Cheese Rigatoni

This creamy cottage cheese rigatoni pasta recipe is quick, easy, and the ultimate comfort food! Blending cottage cheese into the sauce is a great way to add additional protein. Enjoy this hearty baked pasta dish with some crusty bread and this Greek cucumber salad!

While cooking dinner, I pulled the first box of pasta that I could reach and noticed it was Rigatoni pasta. That's odd. When did I buy Rigatoni? My go-to pasta dish is baked Penne pasta, so I usually buy Penne pasta.

I decided to do a little digging and quickly learned that there aren't a ton of Rigatoni recipes out there. As a result, I quickly switched from dinner cooking mode to blogging mode. This meant taking notes and pictures so I could recreate it.

I love adding blended cottage cheese to recipes for added protein. If that's something you'd like to do too, try this creamy high protein mac and cheese recipe and this yummy cottage cheese ice cream.

Jump to:

• 🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
• 🍝 How to Make Cottage Cheese Rigatoni
• 🥗 Serving Suggestions
• 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
• 🍽 More Pasta Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions

• Meat: Ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey or Italian sausage. If using Italian sausage, you will need to adjust the seasoning.
• Pasta: This recipe calls for Rigatoni, however, if you need to, you can use Penne or Ziti.
• Sauce: I used my homemade pasta sauce; however, store-bought pasta sauce can be used.
• Tomatoes: A pint of canned tomatoes. Choose from crushed tomatoes or whole tomatoes, but whole tomatoes will need to be blended.
• Spices: I kept this recipe simple by only using salt and black pepper. We did serve the finished dish sprinkled with crushed red pepper flakes since we like it a bit spicy.
• Cheese: The cottage cheese is blended with some pasta sauce and mixed with the pasta. If you like cheesier casseroles, I highly recommend adding some fresh mozzarella balls. Other cheese options include shredded mozzarella, feta, or shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I also sprinkle this pasta with grated Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese.
• Vegetables: I only added bell pepper, onion, and garlic, however, if I was the only one eating this pasta, I would have added some chopped squash and sliced mushrooms. Feel free to add your favorite veggies!
• Oil: I prefer extra virgin olive oil, but avocado oil can be substituted.
• Optional: Garnish with fresh basil or Italian parsley.

*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card!

🍝 How to Make Cottage Cheese Rigatoni

Step 1: Blend whole tomatoes using a blender or food processor, then set aside. Next, blend 1 cup of pasta sauce and 1-½ cups of cottage cheese until smooth and creamy. Brush the lasagna pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Step 2: In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté ground beef, onion, and bell pepper until the beef is browned. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Pour the remaining pasta sauce and tomato puree into the pot. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning, then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

Pro Tip: Depending on the type of pasta sauce you are using, the flavor of the sauce may need to be enhanced by adding red wine, fresh herbs (oregano, basil, and so on), or even some parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 350℉

Step 3: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add 2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and rigatoni noodles. Give the pasta a quick stir, then cook until al dente (approximately 10 minutes). Stir a few more times to keep pasta from sticking to the pot.

Pro Tip: You don't want the Rigatoni cooked all the way through because it will continue to cook in the oven.

Step 4: Reseve a little pasta water and drain the rest. Pour strained pasta into baking dish. Add a splash of pasta water to the cottage cheese mixture and blend to emulsify. Pour creamy cottage cheese sauce over noodles and mix to coat.

Step 5: Stir in remaining pasta sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese (if using). Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Pro Tip: This would be a good time to sprinkle the Rigatoni pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. You can also do it right after you pull it out of the oven or when you serve it.

🥗 Serving Suggestions

Serve this creamy cottage cheese baked rigatoni with freshly grated parmesan cheese and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or basil for a pop of color. This pasta will pair beautifully with cream cheese garlic bread, or breadsticks.

Of course, we can't forget the salad! Choose from any of the following: Middle Eastern salad (yes, it's fine to mix cuisines!), zesty quinoa salad, or this Lebanese fattoush salad.

And for dessert, you'll want to try my high-protein ice cream, made with cottage cheese, dates, tahini, and pistachios!

Looking for other Rigatoni recipes? If so, check out this hearty roasted pepper pasta!

🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

🍽 More Pasta Recipes

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📖 Recipe