Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta (Printable Version)

Silky cottage cheese and Parmesan sauce coat tender pasta for a healthy, flavorful main dish.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 6 oz dried pasta (penne, rigatoni, or spaghetti)

→ Sauce

02 - 7 oz cottage cheese (low-fat or full-fat)
03 - ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 2 tablespoons milk
05 - 1 clove garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
07 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
09 - ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs (optional)

→ To Serve

10 - Fresh basil leaves, torn
11 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

# Method Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta.
02 - Combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, milk, garlic, olive oil, black pepper, salt, and Italian herbs in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
03 - Transfer sauce to a large skillet over low heat. Warm gently, stirring, until heated through. Thin sauce with reserved pasta water or additional milk to desired consistency.
04 - Add drained pasta to skillet and toss to coat evenly. Adjust texture with more reserved pasta water if needed for a silky finish.
05 - Portion pasta into bowls. Garnish with fresh basil, extra Parmesan, and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get all the creamy comfort of a heavy cream sauce but with enough protein to actually keep you full for hours
  • It comes together in about twenty minutes flat which means weeknight dinner just got way more interesting
02 -
  • The sauce thickens as it sits so have that extra pasta water ready even after you've plated it
  • Blending hot sauce can be dangerous let it cool for just a minute before firing up the blender
03 -
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you'll need because a tablespoon can transform a too-thick sauce into perfection
  • If you're using a high-speed blender you won't even notice the cottage cheese texture so don't worry about any initial graininess
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