Add this Gluten Free Pasta Bake with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce to your dinner lineup! This comforting yet nourishing dish features ground turkey, chickpea pasta and a creamy, homemade roasted red pepper sauce for some smoky, spicy flavor. Each serving is loaded with 36g of protein, making this the perfect healthy and satisfying meal.
I was just looking back at my recent recipes and realized I’ve posted a LOT of pasta ones recently…oops! I guess I’m accidentally in my pasta era which truly feels like a full circle moment after being addicted to it as a kid and then scared of it as a young adult. We love pasta now, especially when it’s transformed into a hearty, balanced, protein-packed dish!
So, my latest and greatest addition to the high-protein comfort food series (this series doesn’t actually exist) is my Gluten Free Pasta Bake with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. Inspired by baked ziti, but with a unique flavor twist and nourishing ingredients.
This pasta dish is creamy, dreamy and made with a few of my favorite secret ingredients…blended cottage cheese, ground turkey, and chickpea pasta. Together, this dish is a protein-packed powerhouse that also tastes totally indulgent and satisfying. I can’t wait for you to try it!
Why You’ll Love this High Protein, Gluten Free Pasta Bake with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Each serving is packed with 36g of protein!
- This pasta bake is both gluten free and high in protein.
- It’s a twist on baked ziti, with a delicious spicy roasted red pepper sauce!
- The perfect healthy way to indulge in your comfort food cravings.
- This recipe is an easy dinner to make on weeknights, when hosting, or for meal prep.
What You Need to Make this High Protein, Gluten Free Pasta Bake with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
For the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
- Avocado Oil or Olive Oil: Just a bit of your preferred oil for sautéing the onion.
- Yellow Onion: About 1/2 large yellow onion, or 1 small one.
- Garlic: Fresh minced, always.
- Tomato Paste: The tomato paste goes great with the roasted red peppers and adds additional depth of flavor.
- Kosher Salt, Black Pepper & Red Pepper Flakes: To make this roasted red pepper sauce a bit spicy, we’re adding 3/4 tsp of red pepper flakes but feel free to increase or decrease based on your spice preferences.
- Roasted Red Peppers: You know the kind that comes in jars? Use those but make sure to drain off the liquid first.
- Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is the secret ingredient to make this roasted red pepper sauce creamy and high protein! 4% is preferred but it will also work with 2%.
For the Gluten Free Pasta Bake:
- Chickpea Pasta: I use Banza chickpea pasta in this recipe to add additional protein and fiber (while keeping it gluten free) but any GF (or normal) pasta brand will work. Rigatoni and ziti are the best shapes, though.
- Ground Turkey: Similarly, the addition of ground turkey to this pasta bake boosts the protein content and makes it a more balanced, satisfying dish. 94% lean is preferred as 99% lean is a little too dry.
- Italian Seasoning, Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Simple seasonings you definitely already have on hand!
- Shredded Mozzarella: Layered in between and on top of this gluten free pasta bake is some shredded mozzarella – specifically low-moisture, part-skim.
- Grated Parmesan: And of course, some salty parmesan to go with the mozzarella!
How To Make this High Protein, Gluten Free Pasta Bake with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Boil the Pasta:
First, preheat your oven to 375F. Then, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it’s almost boiling, heavily salt the water. Then, add the pasta and cook for about 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Prepare the Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce:
While the pasta is cooking, bring a large pan to medium-low heat. Then, add oil. Once hot, add the onion and season with kosher salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until starting to turn translucent.
Next, add in the garlic and tomato paste. Use the back of the spatula to smoosh the tomato paste and combine it with the onion and garlic. Let that cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes until the tomato paste has darkened in color.
Then, deglaze the pan with a few splashes of water (or broth) to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Transfer this to your blender or food processor along with the remaining sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Brown the Ground Turkey:
Now, bring the same large pan up to medium heat. Once hot, add the ground turkey and break it apart with your spatula. Season with italian seasoning, kosher salt & black pepper. Continue cooking and breaking apart until done through.
Mix together Pasta, Ground Turkey & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
Transfer the cooked ground turkey, cooked pasta and roasted red pepper sauce to the large pot that you boiled the pasta in. You can also do this in the pan that you cooked the ground turkey in but it’ll be harder to mix everything up. Stir everything with the spatula until combined.
Layer Pasta with Cheese & Bake:
Next, spread half of the pasta mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Then, layer on half of the mozzarella and parmesan. Spread the remaining pasta on top and finally sprinkle the rest of the cheese evenly on top.
Finally, transfer baking dish to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until everything is warm and the cheese has melted. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and black pepper…enjoy!
Is the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Spicy?
You can make this dish as spicy or as mild as your heart desires. The first time I tested this recipe, I only used a little bit of red pepper flakes and honestly I thought it was lacking in flavor. So, the second time around I upped it to 3/4 tsp and it was the perfect amount in my opinion. But if you’re like my husband and LOVE spicy foods then increase it to 1 tsp or garnish with some extra red pepper flakes after baking!
What Type of Pasta Should I Use in this Gluten Free Pasta Bake?
To increase the protein and fiber content in this gluten free pasta bake, I use Banza chickpea pasta! Each box is 8oz, so you’ll need two boxes for this recipe. I like their rigatoni shape.
However, this recipe will also work with whatever gluten free (or normal) pasta brand you prefer. Just make sure to cook it 1-2 minutes less than what’s listed on the package instructions so that it’s still al-dente.
Can I Use Ground Chicken or Beef Instead?
Yes! You can use whatever you hand on hand. I like using ground turkey – it’s a great lean protein source but feels a little more flavorful than ground chicken. I would stray away from using 99% lean ground turkey…it’s really dry!
Can I Prep this Gluten Free Pasta Bake Ahead of Time?
If you’re looking to serve this to a crowd and want to get a head start, you can definitely prep most of it ahead of time. Follow steps 1-7 and then cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Remove the plastic wrap and bake – you may need to add about 5 extra minutes to make sure everything is warmed through!
How Should I Store Leftover Gluten Free Pasta Bake?
This High Protein, Gluten Free Pasta Bake with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is a great one to meal prep since it makes a lot! Just allow it to cool fully before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers, transfer your portion to a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by leaving a rating and review below and tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Pasta Recipes?
- High-Protein Stuffed Shells
- One-Pot Shrimp Fajita Pasta Recipe
- Salmon Pea Pasta with Asparagus
- Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad with Chipotle Chicken
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Pasta
- Lemon Pepper Pasta
Gluten Free Pasta Bake with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (High Protein)
Equipment
- large pan
- large pot
- spatula
- high-speed blender or food processor
- 9×13" baking dish
Ingredients
For the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
- 2 tsp avocado or olive oil
- ½ large yellow onion diced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- kosher salt to taste
- ¾ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to your spice preference)
- 16 oz cottage cheese (4% preferred)
- 16 oz jar of roasted red peppers drained
For the Pasta Bake:
- 1 lb Banza rigatoni *
- 1 lb ground turkey (94% lean)
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups low-moisture, part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
Optional Garnish:
- chopped basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it's almost boiling, heavily salt the water. Then, add the pasta and cook for about 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.kosher salt, 1 lb Banza rigatoni
- While the pasta is cooking, bring a large pan to medium-low heat. Then, add oil. Once hot, add the onion and season with kosher salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until starting to turn translucent.2 tsp avocado or olive oil, ½ large yellow onion, kosher salt
- Add in garlic and tomato paste. Use the back of the spatula to smoosh the tomato paste and combine it with the onion and garlic. Let that cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes until the tomato paste has darkened in color.3 tbsp tomato paste, 3 garlic cloves
- Deglaze with a few splashes of water (or broth) to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Transfer this to your blender or food processor along with the remaining sauce ingredients. Season with additional kosher salt & black pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.kosher salt, ¾ tsp red pepper flakes, 16 oz cottage cheese, 16 oz jar of roasted red peppers, black pepper
- Bring the same large pan up to medium heat. Once hot, add the ground turkey and break it apart with your spatula. Season with italian seasoning, kosher salt & black pepper. Continue cooking and breaking apart until done through.1 lb ground turkey, 1 tsp italian seasoning, black pepper, kosher salt
- Transfer the cooked ground turkey, cooked pasta and roasted red pepper sauce to the large pot that you boiled the pasta in. Stir everything with the spatula until combined.
- Spread half of the pasta mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Then, layer on half of the mozzarella and parmesan. Spread the remaining pasta on top and finally sprinkle the rest of the cheese evenly on top.1 ½ cups low-moisture, part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- Transfer baking dish to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until everything is warm and the cheese has melted. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and black pepper…enjoy!chopped basil
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.
This turned out so well! Will make again
Appreciate that so much Katherine!
Super easy to make and full of flavor. Love that you can adjust how spicy you want the sauce to be with red pepper flakes and the tip of using the pot you boil the pasta in to mix everything together cuts down on dishes
Thank you SO much Bryan!
LOVED this one!!! The sauce was so delicious and loved the added protein! Will definitely make again 🙂
Yay, thank you always Marissa!
The recipe that started it all… this was my first Munchin’ recipe and safe to say it sold me!!! My sister was in town so we made this together and could not get enough. I’m secretly hoping it’ll become our little tradition when we’re together 🙂
Awww yes that would be such a cute tradition!