Cottage cheese mixed into pasta sauce creates 40g protein per serving—a 1950s bodybuilder trick that actually works.
High Protein Beef and Pasta Meal Prep
Get ready to fuel your week with this delicious High Protein Beef and Pasta Meal Prep! Bursting with savory ground beef, al dente pasta, and a medley of vibrant veggies, this recipe serves up ten hearty meals that are as satisfying as they are nutritious. Plus, the secret lies in the zesty seasoning blend that ties everything together—perfect for keeping your taste buds excited all week long!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This American bodybuilder's fever dream traces back to 1950s Italian-American neighborhoods where homesick Sicilians discovered protein powder and decided their nonna's pasta needed serious gym gains—what started as Sunday gravy in Brooklyn's Bay Ridge became the fitness industry's carb-loading obsession, turning traditional Italian comfort into laboratory-precise macronutrient warfare that would make both Arnold Schwarzenegger and your Italian grandmother simultaneously proud and horrified.
Regional Twist
In Texas Hill Country, they swap the ground beef for venison and double the bell peppers, adding jalapeños and finishing with smoked paprika for that proper barbacoa influence.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 20 slices beef bacon
- 880 g cottage cheese
- 50 g cream cheese
- 1 bag fat-free mozzarella cheese
- 3 lb (1.36 kg) ground beef
- 2 onions
- 50 g pecorino romano cheese
- 8 servings protein pasta
- 300 ml protein silk milk
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- bell peppers (to taste)
- honey (to taste)
- Pepper
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Chop the bell peppers and onions, then cook them in a hot skillet.
- 2
Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned.
- 3
Cook the beef bacon until crispy, then add the grease back into the skillet with the beef and vegetables.
- 4
Boil the protein pasta according to package instructions.
- 5
In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, honey, fat-free mozzarella, cream cheese, Pecorino Romano, protein silk milk, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- 6
Once the beef and bacon are cooked, add the boiled pasta and the blended sauce to the skillet.
- 7
Mix everything together and let it simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- 8
Divide the mixture into 10 portions, each weighing around 16.9 to 17.2 ounces.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown your 96/4 ground beef at 400-450°F surface temperature without overcrowding the pan, as lean beef lacks fat for proper Maillard reactions and will steam rather than sear if packed too densely.technique400-450°F surface temp
- ✓Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta cooking water before draining because protein pasta releases less starch than regular pasta, and you'll need it to properly bind your cottage cheese sauce.ingredient1 cup reserved water
- ✓Blend your cottage cheese sauce for exactly 2-3 minutes until completely smooth because cottage cheese curds will break down under extended blending, creating a grainy texture that won't improve during cooking.timing2-3 minutes
- ✓Cook your bell peppers to 185-190°F internal temperature before adding beef, as this breaks down pectin cell walls and prevents them from releasing excess moisture that would steam your meat.technique185-190°F internal temp
- ✓Cool your meal prep portions to 40°F within 2 hours using an ice bath or shallow containers, as the high protein content creates ideal bacterial growth conditions above this temperature.timing40°F within 2 hours
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Cottage cheese mixed into pasta sauce creates 40g protein per serving—a 1950s bodybuilder trick that actually works.
High Protein Beef and Pasta Meal Prep
Get ready to fuel your week with this delicious High Protein Beef and Pasta Meal Prep! Bursting with savory ground beef, al dente pasta, and a medley of vibrant veggies, this recipe serves up ten hearty meals that are as satisfying as they are nutritious. Plus, the secret lies in the zesty seasoning blend that ties everything together—perfect for keeping your taste buds excited all week long!
The Story
This American bodybuilder's fever dream traces back to 1950s Italian-American neighborhoods where homesick Sicilians discovered protein powder and decided their nonna's pasta needed serious gym gains—what started as Sunday gravy in Brooklyn's Bay Ridge became the fitness industry's carb-loading obsession, turning traditional Italian comfort into laboratory-precise macronutrient warfare that would make both Arnold Schwarzenegger and your Italian grandmother simultaneously proud and horrified.
Regional Twist
In Texas Hill Country, they swap the ground beef for venison and double the bell peppers, adding jalapeños and finishing with smoked paprika for that proper barbacoa influence.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 20 slices beef bacon
- 880 g cottage cheese
- 50 g cream cheese
- 1 bag fat-free mozzarella cheese
- 3 lb (1.36 kg) ground beef
- 2 onions
- 50 g pecorino romano cheese
- 8 servings protein pasta
- 300 ml protein silk milk
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- bell peppers (to taste)
- honey (to taste)
- Pepper
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Chop the bell peppers and onions, then cook them in a hot skillet.
- 2
Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned.
- 3
Cook the beef bacon until crispy, then add the grease back into the skillet with the beef and vegetables.
- 4
Boil the protein pasta according to package instructions.
- 5
In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, honey, fat-free mozzarella, cream cheese, Pecorino Romano, protein silk milk, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- 6
Once the beef and bacon are cooked, add the boiled pasta and the blended sauce to the skillet.
- 7
Mix everything together and let it simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- 8
Divide the mixture into 10 portions, each weighing around 16.9 to 17.2 ounces.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown your 96/4 ground beef at 400-450°F surface temperature without overcrowding the pan, as lean beef lacks fat for proper Maillard reactions and will steam rather than sear if packed too densely.technique400-450°F surface temp
- ✓Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta cooking water before draining because protein pasta releases less starch than regular pasta, and you'll need it to properly bind your cottage cheese sauce.ingredient1 cup reserved water
- ✓Blend your cottage cheese sauce for exactly 2-3 minutes until completely smooth because cottage cheese curds will break down under extended blending, creating a grainy texture that won't improve during cooking.timing2-3 minutes
- ✓Cook your bell peppers to 185-190°F internal temperature before adding beef, as this breaks down pectin cell walls and prevents them from releasing excess moisture that would steam your meat.technique185-190°F internal temp
- ✓Cool your meal prep portions to 40°F within 2 hours using an ice bath or shallow containers, as the high protein content creates ideal bacterial growth conditions above this temperature.timing40°F within 2 hours