We are back with another DELICIOUS pasta recipe. This pasta is full of flavor and PROTEIN!!! It is like having lasagna but in a penne form. Make this for those colder days where you just want something comforting!
Spicy Lasagna Penne Pasta
A magnificent protein-filled dish that will pleasure your pasta cravings! This dish includes protein in the pasta as well as the sauce itself. It can be made relatively healthy with some easy substitutions such as leaving out the Italian sausages for chicken sausages and instead of cottage cheese, use greek yogurt! I personally automatically use low-fat cottage cheese and ricotta automatically in this recipe so swap out like with like as needed!
Ingredients
- 4 Italian sausage sliced and fried (or chicken sausage)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 can Rao's marinara
- 1 cup milk
- 4 tbs butter
- 2 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- ½ or 1 cup cottage cheese (or greek yogurt 1 or 2 cups depending on how creamy you want it)
- ½ cup parmesan
- 1 lb penne pasta get high-protein pasta if you want
- ½ cup pasta water
- 16 oz container ricotta low-fat
Instructions
- Start boiling your pasta according to directions. MAKE SURE TO RESERVE 1/2 CUP OF YOUR PASTA WATER!
- If you haven't already, cut your sausages into coins and fry in large skillet over medium heat with about 2 tbsp of oil. Cook until desired crispiness and set aside. Use this same pot for the next step.
- Heat your olive oil over medium heat for about 1 minute.
- Add in your garlic. Stir every so often for around 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
- Add in your marinara. Stir in until incorporated. Then stir in your milk.
- puree your cottage cheese in a food processor. Leave in processor.
- Ladle out about half a cup of your pasta sauce into a bowl and slowly mix in your pureed cottage cheese to temper it.
- Once mixed, pour mixture into pasta sauce.
- Now add in all of your spices followed by the pasta, then pasta water. Add in your butter and fold in.
- Mix in the parmesan then top the pasta with dallops of ricotta. Garnish with more parsley and chili flakes. Serve immediately!