This delicious four cheese pasta bake is carb heaven! Four cheeses combine with gluten-free pasta and a flavorful homemade marinara for a hearty, meatless casserole everyone will enjoy.
This recipe has been a family favorite for years — one of my husband’s top picks.
Tender pasta, a savory tomato sauce, and four melting cheeses come together in the oven to create a comforting, satisfying meal. Serve with garlic bread or a simple green salad for a complete dinner.
I’ve been making this since our daughter was small, and it still hits the spot.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Pasta – I use brown rice or other gluten-free pasta (shells, penne, or spirals work well).
- Vegetables – Yellow onion, garlic, and cherry or Roma tomatoes.
- Spices – Dried oregano, dried rosemary, sea salt, and red pepper flakes (optional).
- Tomato sauce – Use your favorite marinara or canned tomato sauce.
- Cheeses – Cottage cheese, ricotta, mozzarella (part-skim), and grated Parmesan.
- Greek yogurt – Adds creaminess; substitute additional ricotta if you prefer.
- Fresh herbs – Basil or parsley.
Recipe steps
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce: heat olive oil in a skillet, sauté the chopped onion until translucent (about 5 minutes), then add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, salt, and red pepper flakes and simmer on low for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
4. In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta, Greek yogurt, one cup of the shredded mozzarella, and chopped parsley or basil. Stir until smooth.
5. Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta, then fold in the cheese mixture so the pasta is evenly coated.
6. Transfer everything to a well-oiled 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the grated Parmesan evenly over the top.
7. Bake covered for 10–15 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the top is golden and the casserole is bubbly.
Notes and variations
If you prefer no heat, swap red pepper flakes for freshly ground black pepper. For added nutrition, stir in about 1 cup of packed fresh spinach with the cheese mixture. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, just use extra ricotta.
Make it ahead by assembling the casserole and refrigerating it for a day; add a few extra minutes to the covered bake time if starting from cold.
Four Cheese Pasta
20 mins
20 mins
40 mins
Ingredients
- 1 pound gluten-free pasta
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 cups part-skim mozzarella, grated (divided)
- 6 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
- In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta, Greek yogurt, 1 cup mozzarella, and parsley. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet and cook onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spices; simmer on low about 5 minutes.
- Mix cooked pasta with the sauce and cheese mixture, then transfer to a well-oiled 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake covered 10–15 minutes, then uncover and bake 5 more minutes until golden and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition facts are estimates. Weight Watchers points listed as reference. Adapted from a classic four-cheese baked pasta recipe.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 55 g
Protein: 22 g
Fat: 11 g
Fiber: 6 g
Sugar: 7 g
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment to let me know how it turned out!