Cottage Cheese Creamy Pasta (Printable)

Protein-packed pasta with a velvety cottage cheese sauce and fresh vegetables for a wholesome meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz whole wheat or regular pasta (penne, fusilli, or choice)

→ Creamy Cottage Cheese Sauce

02 - 1 1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
03 - 1/2 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened plant-based)
04 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 2 cloves garlic
06 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Vegetables (optional)

10 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
11 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Garnish

12 - Fresh basil leaves
13 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
03 - Return drained pasta to the pot over low heat. Pour in the sauce and toss to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water gradually until desired sauce consistency is reached.
04 - Stir in spinach and cherry tomatoes if using; cook for 1 to 2 minutes until spinach wilts and tomatoes soften slightly.
05 - Plate immediately and garnish with fresh basil leaves and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It sneaks serious protein into a meal that tastes purely indulgent and creamy.
  • The whole thing comes together in 25 minutes, which means you can make it on nights when you barely have energy to think.
  • Once you blend the cottage cheese, nobody will ever guess what made the sauce this good.
02 -
  • Blending the cottage cheese until completely smooth is the entire foundation—any graininess ruins the velvety feeling you are chasing.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain; it is the secret to getting the sauce to cling to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom.
03 -
  • Use a high-powered blender or food processor; it gets the cottage cheese smoother than you think possible and makes all the difference in the final texture.
  • Keep the heat on low when adding the sauce to the pasta so nothing breaks or becomes grainy—low and gentle is the way to keep everything silky.
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