Baked Mac and Cheese

Easy and yummy ~ I had never blended cottage cheese before, but it made a really creamy and delicious sauce! We even used fat-free cottage cheese! This recipe was a side for the Italian Meatball Sliders ~ great pairing!

Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

Cook Time: 40 min.
Ingredients:
3 cups (12 ounces) uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 (12-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
 

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place in a large bowl.
3. Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Add the cheese mixture to pasta, and stir well. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
4. Combine remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, panko, and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.
5. Preheat broiler (do not remove dish from the oven).
6. Broil pasta 1 minute or until top browns.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 329
Fat: 7.4g
Saturated fat: 4.4g
Monounsaturated fat: 0.8g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.1g
Protein: 19.1g
Carbohydrate: 47g
Fiber: 1.9g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Iron: 2mg
Sodium: 455mg
Calcium: 275mg