Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta (Print Version)

Silky cottage cheese sauce coats al dente pasta for a creamy, satisfying meal with fresh herbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 tbsp milk
05 - 1 clove garlic, minced
06 - 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
07 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - ¼ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
09 - ½ tsp dried Italian herbs (optional)

→ To Serve

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

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, following package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
02 - Combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, milk, garlic, olive oil, black pepper, salt, and Italian herbs in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
03 - Transfer sauce to a large skillet over low heat. Warm gently while stirring until heated through. Adjust thickness by adding reserved pasta water or additional milk as needed.
04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to coat pasta evenly with the sauce. Add extra pasta water for a silky texture if necessary.
05 - Portion pasta into bowls. Garnish with torn basil leaves, extra Parmesan, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 25 minutes, which means dinner can actually happen on a weeknight without stress.
  • You get nearly 30 grams of protein per serving, so you stay full way longer than regular pasta would leave you.
  • The sauce is so silky and luxurious that no one would ever guess the main ingredient is humble cottage cheese.
02 -
  • The blending step is non-negotiable—if you try to skip it and just stir cottage cheese into the pasta, you'll end up with lumps that no amount of stirring fixes, and it won't taste the same.
  • Don't use boiling heat when warming the sauce because cottage cheese can get grainy and weird if it gets too hot, so keep it low and patient.
  • Pasta water is your secret weapon here—it sounds like throwing away liquid gold, but those starches are what tie everything together into something that feels restaurant-quality.
03 -
  • If you don't have a blender or food processor, a fork and some elbow grease can work in a pinch, though you might get some texture—totally fine, just not as silky.
  • Taste your sauce before serving because seasoning needs vary wildly based on the salt level of your Parmesan and personal preference, so that extra pinch of salt or pepper might be exactly what it needs.
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