High-Protein Pizza Pasta Bake (Print Version)

Hearty pasta bake with pizza flavors, creamy yogurt sauce, lean beef, and pepperoni.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 10.5 oz lean ground beef
02 - 2 oz turkey or regular pepperoni, sliced

→ Pasta

03 - 12 oz high-protein pasta (penne or fusilli)

→ Cheese & Yogurt Sauce

04 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (0–2% fat)
05 - 1.5 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
06 - 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 large egg

→ Vegetables

08 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
11 - 1 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
12 - 3.5 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped (optional)

→ Spices & Seasonings

13 - 1 tsp dried oregano
14 - 1 tsp dried basil
15 - 0.5 tsp chili flakes (optional)
16 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
17 - Olive oil, for sautéing

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.
02 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper; sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened.
04 - Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
05 - Add the lean ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. Drain excess fat if necessary.
06 - Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, chili flakes, and spinach. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - In a bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, half of the mozzarella, Parmesan, and egg until smooth. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
08 - Combine the cooked pasta, beef-tomato mixture, and yogurt-cheese sauce in a large bowl. Mix well to incorporate all components.
09 - Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and arrange pepperoni slices evenly over the surface.
10 - Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It delivers 37 grams of protein per serving without tasting like you're eating a gym membership.
  • The creamy yogurt sauce is a clever plot twist that keeps everything moist while staying lighter than traditional béchamel.
  • You can make it in under an hour and have leftovers that somehow taste better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting step at the end; pulling it straight from the oven means you'll scoop out sauce with no structure, and the mozzarella needs time to set slightly.
  • The yogurt-egg mixture can curdle if your meat sauce is too hot when you combine them—let the beef mixture cool for 2-3 minutes before mixing in the yogurt layer, or add the yogurt mixture slowly while stirring constantly.
03 -
  • Shred your own mozzarella from a block instead of using pre-shredded; the anti-caking agents in bagged cheese prevent smooth melting and you'll get a grainier, less creamy texture.
  • Taste the meat sauce before combining everything—if it needs salt, add it now rather than trying to fix it in the baked casserole where salt distribution becomes uneven.
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