Health Foodie in the Quest for Italian Do Over

I miss Italian food.  Watching all these food shoes makes it worse, unless it's the one where the "f" word guy goes back into the kitchen.  It's kinda like finding out what's in spam or hot dogs, wish you had never known.  Being in the GF life has severely limited our gluten free Italian options.  Finding a non crunch lasagna noodle takes a trek across town.  I am a label reading fool.  I have found some GF penne and rotini made with ancient grains- brown rice and quinoa.  Jumping up and down giggling my friends.  If it has corn in the ingredients, it's crunchy pasta. Gross. Lasagna was my go to comfort meal.  Other than the gluten issue, lasagna tends to be high in fat and calories. Not good for your waist line or brain power.  What's  health foodie to do for comfort food? Make a redo.  The difference in my creation from other recipes are the switch outs.  Still easy with the Italian comfort; yet, no meat/more veggies and a better ricotta-like stand in.

What you need

• 4 oz of rotini pasta of choice
• Half an onion sliced
• 4-5 mushrooms sliced
• One carrot sliced thin
• 3 garlic cloves sliced
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 cups of 1 % cottage cheese
• 2 tbsp of italian herb dry mix
• 24 oz jar of pasta sauce
• 32 oz of beef or vegetable broth
• Half of green or red pepper sliced

Cooking

1. Place olive oil in a skillet and bring to a medium heat.  Put in garlic, carrot, onion, and pepper.  When these are soft put in mushrooms.  Cook until mushrooms are slightly soft.  Remove from heat.
2. Cook pasta as directed on package
3.  In a 8 quart stock pot or 8 quart crock pot: put in broth, pasta sauce, cooked vegetables, cooked pasta, spices, and cottage cheese.
4. Cook on low for 45 minutes.  

Options: you can add a pound of cooked meat in step three if you require meat.  Parmesan cheese can be added on top for more cheesy flavor.  Parmesan is one of the lower calories, lower fat, and high protein cheeses. This would be my choice over any other cheese.

I certainly have a fixation on the quick prep and dump in a pot at the moment.  Cost effective, easy to make, tummy filling, anti-inflammatory spices/herbs, and delicious.  How can a girl resist?

Namaste and let comfort heal you