Cheesy Baked Pasta with Cottage Cheese and Mozzarella

My two favorite things in the world are pasta and cheese, so it’s no surprise that baked cheesy pasta is one of the dishes I turn to most often. This version is simple and honest: pasta folded into a tomato sauce enriched with cottage cheese, then finished in the oven with mozzarella on top until golden and bubbling. It’s the kind of food that brings everyone to the table without fuss, comforting but still light enough to enjoy any night of the week.

Cheesy baked pasta with cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan, lifted from a white baking dish with golden bubbling cheese and tomato sauce, topped with fresh parsley.

Ingredients

• 250 g short pasta (penne, fusilli, rigatoni, or cassarecce)

• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 400 g canned chopped tomatoes or passata

• 200 g cottage cheese

• 150 g grated mozzarella

• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan (plus extra to serve)

• 1 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)

• Fresh basil or parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan).

2. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until just al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside, reserving a small cup of pasta water.

3. Heat olive oil or butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

4. Stir in chopped tomatoes, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5–8 minutes until slightly thickened.

5. Add cottage cheese and Parmesan into the sauce, stirring until it melts in and turns creamy.

6. If the sauce feels too thick, add a splash of pasta water.

7. Fold in the cooked pasta, mixing until evenly coated.

8. Transfer everything into a baking dish. Top with grated mozzarella.

9. Bake for 12–15 minutes until the mozzarella is melted, bubbling, and lightly golden.

10. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and garnish with basil or parsley before serving.