Some nights I open the fridge, stare for a solid minute, and mentally prepare to eat air for dinner. Again. But lately, I’ve been outsourcing that moment of panic to AI and honestly… it’s working out a little too well. Welcome back to ChatGPT Told Me To — the series where I tell ChatGPT what I already have in my kitchen and let it decide dinner so I don’t have to.
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This week’s inventory was aggressively practical: protein pasta, Rao’s marinara, spinach, zucchini, cottage cheese, and diced bell peppers. No plan, no Pinterest board, just vibes and a very real deadline called hungry. And somehow what came out of the oven was a bubbling, golden, cheesy baked pasta that tasted wildly indulgent while stretching into three servings at under 350 calories each with roughly 25–30 grams of protein per serving. I was genuinely impressed. The real MVP move? Blending the cottage cheese with the Rao’s, which turned jarred sauce into a silky, creamy, almost-vodka-sauce situation without adding cream. Add sautéed veggies, protein pasta, a little real cheese for that bubbly top layer, and suddenly this felt like restaurant level comfort food built entirely from fridge staples.
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Right now I’m personally staying away from meat and leaning more into seafood, so my portion stayed veggie-packed and protein forward, but my husband lives in a slightly different culinary universe… so yes, chicken was added to his half. Marriage is compromise. We paired the whole thing with my homemade jalapeño cheddar bread completely unnecessary, wildly delicious, and honestly the kind of side dish that turns a random weeknight into something that feels suspiciously like the weekend.
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You know a recipe is a keeper when the pan is noticeably lighter afterward, and you immediately start plotting the next variation before the dishes are even done. This one checked all three. Cozy, cheesy, macro-friendly, budget-friendly, and built from ingredients I already had on hand which is exactly what ChatGPT Told Me To is all about. Stay tuned to find out what "ChatGPT tells me to do nex!
​​​​​​​​​​​INGREDIENTS​
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4 oz dry Barilla Protein+ pasta
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1tsp Olive Oil (I used Avocado Spray)
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225g Rao’s Marinara Sauce
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30g Good Culture Cottage Cheese (2%)
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2 small zucchini (200g) diced
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35g diced bell peppers
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105G spinach
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20g garlic, minced
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½ tsp Italian seasoning
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Salt & pepper
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Shredded Cheese
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1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
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INSTRUCTIONS​​
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Cook protein pasta according to package directions.
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While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil (or spray) in a skillet over medium heat and .add garlic for 30 seconds.
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Add zucchini, bell peppers, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper and cook until softened 4–5 minutes
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Add spinach until it is wilted
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While the vegetables cook, add marinara and cottage cheese to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth
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Pour mixture into the sautéed veggies.
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Stir in half the cheese, then fold in pasta.
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Top with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly
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Enjoy!​​
