Triple Cheese - Poppyseed Noodles
Submitted by jackie
Triple cheese poppy seed noodles toss wide egg noodles with ricotta, cottage cheese, and cheddar plus poppy seeds and pimentos. A creamy, quick pasta bake.
YIELD
5 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minWide egg noodles coated in a triple-cheese sauce of ricotta, cottage cheese, and yogurt, flecked with poppy seeds and pimentos, then topped with cheddar and melted until bubbly. It’s the kind of no-fuss comfort food that comes together while the noodles boil.
The cheese sauce doesn’t need cooking. Ricotta gives it body, cottage cheese adds tang and texture, and plain yogurt thins everything to a toss-able consistency. A dash of hot sauce and black pepper keep it from tasting flat. The poppy seeds add a subtle, nutty crunch that you notice more with each bite.
Mixing the sauce with hot, freshly drained noodles is what makes this work. The heat from the pasta softens the ricotta and melts everything into a cohesive coating. By the time you transfer to a casserole dish and add the cheddar on top, you’re just melting cheese, not cooking from scratch.
Pro Tips
- Drain the noodles well. Excess water thins the sauce and makes the dish soupy instead of creamy. Give them a good shake in the colander.
- Toss the sauce with the noodles in the pot, not the casserole dish. The pot’s residual heat helps the cheeses melt and coat evenly.
- For crispy edges, bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes instead of microwaving. The microwave is faster, but the oven gives you those golden, crunchy corners that make baked pasta worth the wait.
Variations
- Stir in steamed broccoli or asparagus for a complete one-dish meal with vegetables.
- Serve over a bed of steamed spinach for a lighter, green-forward presentation.
- Swap cheddar for Gruyere for a more refined, nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the poppy seeds.
Ingredients
Directions
GARNISH: fresh parsley sprigs, steamed broccoli florets, or steamed asparagus spears, optional.
Boil a large pot of water; cook noodles until al dente.
While noodles are cooking, in a med mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients except Cheddar cheese and paprika.
When noodles are done, drain well.
Return them to pot. Pour in sauce mixture and toss well to coat.
Pour mixture into a microwave-proof casserole dish.
Sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese; top with paprika.
Heat in microwave, high setting, for 3 minutes, to melt cheese and heat through.
Top with garnish. 4 to 6 Servings.
VARIATIONS: - stir in steamed vegetables ~ serve over a bed of steamed spinach ~ bake in oven at 375℉ for about 25 minutes.
Though it takes longer, the crispy edges are delicious!
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