Spicy Four Cheese Pasta

Good day everyone, and Happy Firefighter Friday!

Vegans, close your eyes (unless you are a masochist)....

...gooey, cheesy food porn!

Today's recipe is one of my husband's favorite! A delightful melange of tender whole grain pasta, flavorful tomato sauce, and melting luscious cheese...you'd think this was a dough boy's worst nightmare.....

...alas, this meal is both healthy and high in protein!!

Check it out.....

SPICY FOUR CHEESE PASTA

Adapted from this recipe

1 lb. whole grain pasta of your choice

1 1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 c. ricotta cheese

1/2 c. greek yogurt (I like 2% Fage)

2 c. part-skim mozzarella, grated, divided

1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped (fresh basil is also delicious)

2 c. baby spinach, loosely packed, chopped

1 T. butter or coconut oil

1 c. yellow onion, chopped

1 T. garlic, minced

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1 c. fresh tomatoes, chopped (I like using the cherry tomatoes)

3 c. tomato sauce

1 1/2 t. oregano, dried

1 t. rosemary, dried

3/4 t. salt

6 T. parmesan or romano cheese, grated

several grinds of black pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cook your pasta in salted water, according to the package directions.

In a bowl, mix your cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, yogurt, 1 cup of mozzarella, parsley, and spinach. Set aside.

Heat the butter or oil in a skillet, and add the onion. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spices. Simmer all on low for about 5 minutes.

Mix all the above ingredients together. Top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and 6 tablespoons of parmesan or romano cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Top with a bit of fresh parsley and serve!

This will rock your turnouts off. That's fireboy lingo for, 'holy shiz, this is good'.

Feel free to add chicken or ground beef (I've done both), or change up the veggies....chard, kale, mushrooms, and zucchini would all be fabulous in here! A hearty and absolutely delicious meal!

What's your favorite pasta dish?

Fun question Friday!

What food could you eat and never get sick of?

Um, oats. 🙂