Rotini Spinach Mac
Creamy protein rotini tossed with a cottage-cheese spinach sauce and finished with sliced sirloin. Macros vary by pasta brand, but this version lands around 455 calories with 46g protein per serving.
Written and tested by
Matt McCabe · Recipe developer
Cal
455
Protein
46g
Carbs
50g
Fat
8g
Per serving · 1 of 4
Macros calculated from label data on the actual ingredients I used, cross-checked against USDA FoodData Central. Update the totals if your brands run different from mine.
Not sure how this fits your day? Run your numbers →
Prep
30 minutes
Cook
45 minutes
Total
75 minutes
Method
- 01On the stove in a large pot, boil 10 cups of water salted with 3 tbsp of salt.
- 02When the water has come to a boil, add the carrots and set a timer for 15 minutes.
- 03While the carrots are boiling, blanch the spinach by boiling for 30 seconds then immediately removing from the pot and placing into an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain the water from the ice bath and squeeze the water out of the spinach until you have a dry ball.
- 04Once the carrots are done boiling, remove them from the pot and allow to cool. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once done, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and strain the pasta.
- 05Cook the sirloin in a hot skillet to your preferred doneness, rest 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
- 06Now it's time to make the sauce. In a high-powered blender, add the cottage cheese, carrot, spinach, garlic, nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup of pasta water. Blend on high. If too thick, add the remaining pasta water as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- 07Now in the pot add the sauce and the pasta. Mix to combine over med-low heat about 5 minutes.
- 08Divide the pasta into 4 servings and top each with 80g of sliced sirloin.
Notes from the kitchen
Macros vary by brand. Protein rotini ranges widely by line, and cottage cheese labels differ slightly between manufacturers. The displayed estimate assumes dry protein rotini, raw sirloin weight, and fat-free cottage cheese. If using Barilla Protein+, Banza, or another pasta, expect the biggest swing to come from carbs and protein. Food safety: cook sirloin to your preference, but ground-style preparations should hit 160°F. Refrigerate within 2 hours, store 3-4 days, reheat to 165°F before eating.
Subscribe
Get the next recipe by email
A new macro-tracked recipe or Field Note in your inbox when it ships. No spam, no upsell, unsubscribe in one click.
Keep cooking.
Indian Butter Chicken Dinner for Two
Chicken breast in a tomato-forward garam masala sauce finished with Greek yogurt and a measured touch of butter. Served over basmati, with 69g protein per dinner.
- Cal
- 644
- Pro
- 69g
- Carb
- 72g
- Fat
- 9g
Harissa Chicken & Sweet Potato Bowls
A North African-inspired sheet-pan bowl built around thin, whole-roasted harissa chicken cutlets, sweet potato, chickpeas, broccoli, lemon-sumac yogurt, and a measured fresh finish of feta, herbs, pickled red onions, and lemon. It uses the harissa, cumin, coriander, garlic, citrus, chickpea, and herb flavor world without pretending to be a traditional tagine. The macro move is a full 1.5 lb package of chicken breast, one intentionally portioned sweet potato, a full can of chickpeas, measured oil, and just enough feta to register. The finished bowl lands around 526 calories with more than 57g protein, while the cold yogurt and acidic toppings keep four days of reheated chicken from eating dry.
- Cal
- 526
- Pro
- 57g
- Carb
- 50g
- Fat
- 12g
Aji Amarillo Grilled Chicken
The first Matt's Macros family meal: a Peruvian-inspired grilled dinner built on a whole spatchcocked aji amarillo chicken with crispy gold potatoes, a cucumber-tomato lime salad, and a nonfat Greek yogurt aji amarillo crema. One centerpiece, three sides, and one honest macro number for the full dinner divided by eight. Skin stays on and is included at ~502 cal / 50g protein per serving.
- Cal
- 502
- Pro
- 50g
- Carb
- 30g
- Fat
- 20g