Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta for about 10 minutes or 1 to 2 minutes before the cooking time recommended on the package. The pasta will still be firm. Drain the pasta into a colander set in the sink.

In the meantime, heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook it, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. If you'd like, drain the excess fat.

Stir in pasta sauce and cook until warm, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine.

Pour half of the mixture into a 13x9-inch casserole. Make dollops of cottage cheese on top, then cover with half of the shredded cheese. Spread the remaining pasta on top and finish with the remaining shredded cheese evenly scattered on top.

Bake until bubbly and cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Add some vegetables. If I don’t feel like meat, I’ll leave it out and add cooked vegetables. Add up to 2 cups of chopped, cooked vegetables to the sauce. Frozen vegetables can be used too, but thaw and drain before using.

How much salt to add to the water. I use the rule of thumb of 4 quarts water to 1 tablespoon salt for boiling 1 pound of pasta.

Swap the cheeses. Other cheeses work well for this pasta bake. Swap ricotta for the cottage cheese. Use half mozzarella and half Monterey Jack instead of the Italian blend. It’s delicious with a sprinkle of feta or a few slices of provolone cheese. Try adding some freshly grated Parmesan too!

Undercook your pasta a bit. Since the pasta will be cooked twice, it’s better to slightly undercook it during its initial boil. Check it two minutes before you expect it to be done to determine the texture. It should still be a little hard.

Experiment. Try the recipe with a different sauce—Alfredo, pesto, etc.—to see what you like best. Add spices like dried oregano, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or fresh basil or parsley. For a nourishing twist, use ground turkey instead of ground beef and go with whole wheat pasta.