Cottage Cheese High Protein Pasta (Print)

A creamy, protein-packed pasta dish featuring blended cottage cheese and fresh vegetables for a healthy twist.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz whole wheat or regular pasta (penne, fusilli, or your 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 - Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
02 - Blend cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) until smooth and creamy.
03 - Return drained pasta to pot over low heat. Pour in sauce and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water gradually to adjust consistency.
04 - Stir in spinach and cherry tomatoes (if using). Cook 1 to 2 minutes until spinach wilts and tomatoes soften.
05 - Plate immediately and top with fresh basil leaves and additional grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get a restaurant-quality creamy sauce without any cream, and it keeps you full because of all that hidden protein.
  • The whole thing comes together in less time than ordering takeout, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a compromise.
  • It's flexible enough to work with whatever vegetables you have on hand, so it never feels like a chore to make.
02 -
  • Blend that cottage cheese until absolutely smooth, because even a tiny bit of graininess will texture your whole sauce in a way you'll notice with every bite.
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, because it's the difference between a sauce that clings to your noodles and one that slides off the moment you eat it.
03 -
  • Use a blender instead of a food processor if you have the choice, because it creates an even smoother, more luxurious sauce.
  • Taste your sauce before mixing it with pasta and adjust the seasoning then, because it's much easier to fix it alone than mixed into hot pasta.
Back