If you make homemade marinara sauce, you will need to start this about an hour ahead. Set aside once the sauce has thickened.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add salt and pasta. Follow the cooking instructions on the package. Cook just under al dente since it will cook in the oven. Give it a quick rinse and set aside to drain.
Heat oven to 350°F. Brush with olive oil a 9 x 6 inch or (8 x 8 inch) baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and pesto. Set aside.
To begin layering: add a couple of spoons of marinara sauce on the bottom, then half of cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish and spread half of the tomato sauce over the pasta. Spread the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the sauce. Sprinkle half the mozzarella cheese. Cover with the remaining pasta and the remaining tomato sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until it bubbles. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.
