This recipe is adapted from Eating Well Magazine. My daughter loved it and ate 2 1/2 servings. Then she ate another serving the following day for breakfast.

  • 3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs. (Note: I made bread crumbs from some of my leftover gluten-free bread.)
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (Note: To make gluten-free, I substituted 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.)
  • 2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (I often use a combination of cheddar cheese and goat cheese)
  • 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, or penne (Note: I used Trader Joe’s rice penne.)

Preparation

  1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.
  3. Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  4. Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
  5. Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.