Save to Pinterest I discovered this pasta on a Tuesday night when my fridge held nothing but cottage cheese, milk, and a half-empty box of penne. Rather than order takeout, I decided to blend what I had and see what happened. The result was so creamy and protein-rich that I've made it dozens of times since, often without the vegetables, sometimes with extras I find on hand. It's become my go-to when I need something filling that won't leave me feeling sluggish, and it comes together faster than delivery arrives.
The first time I made this for my running group, everyone assumed it came from an Italian grandmother's kitchen, not a blender in my small apartment. One teammate asked for the recipe before finishing her bowl, and now it's on regular rotation at her house too. That moment reminded me that the best meals aren't always the complicated ones, just the ones made with intention and a little bit of curiosity.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat or regular pasta, 12 oz: Penne and fusilli both hold the sauce beautifully, but honestly any shape works; choose what you love to eat.
- Low-fat cottage cheese, 1½ cups: Don't skip the blending step or you'll end up with curds rather than sauce, a mistake I made once and learned quickly from.
- Milk, ½ cup: Dairy or plant-based both work equally well; this thins the sauce to the right consistency.
- Grated Parmesan, ¼ cup: Buy it freshly grated or grate it yourself; the pre-shredded stuff clumps.
- Garlic, 2 cloves: Fresh is essential here, it gets blended smooth and becomes the backbone of flavor.
- Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp: The good stuff makes a difference in the final taste.
- Salt and pepper to taste: Start with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper, then adjust after tasting.
- Red pepper flakes, pinch: Optional, but a tiny amount adds warmth without heat.
- Baby spinach, 2 cups: Or skip it, or double it; this sauce is forgiving about vegetables.
- Cherry tomatoes, ½ cup: Halved so they don't roll around and they soften faster in the heat.
- Fresh basil and extra Parmesan for serving: Elevates everything you put it on.
Instructions
- Get the water boiling and pasta going:
- Salt your water generously and let it reach a rolling boil before pasta goes in. While it cooks, don't wander far because you'll need that reserved pasta water in a minute.
- Blend the sauce until it's completely smooth:
- Dump cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and those red pepper flakes into your blender and go until there are absolutely no lumps. This usually takes about one minute depending on your blender's power.
- Combine pasta and sauce with patience:
- Pour the creamy mixture over your drained hot pasta in the pot on low heat, then toss gently, adding splashes of that reserved pasta water until the sauce flows like lava rather than sitting in clumps. You might not need all of it.
- Finish with vegetables:
- Stir in your spinach and tomatoes and let them warm through for a minute or two until the greens soften and shrink. This should take no longer than two minutes or your tomatoes start falling apart.
- Plate and garnish immediately:
- Serve right away while the sauce is still silky, top with fresh basil torn by hand and a generous shower of Parmesan.
Save to Pinterest My roommate in college had food insecurity for a stretch, and I started making this pasta because it was filling, nutritious, and I could feed both of us for under five dollars. Years later he told me it was one of the meals that stuck with him during a hard time, not because it was fancy but because it was made with care. Food has a way of mattering more than you realize in the moment.
Making It Your Own
This sauce is a blank canvas, and I've gotten creative with what goes into it. Sometimes I'll add sun-dried tomatoes, sometimes a handful of pine nuts for crunch, sometimes fresh lemon zest at the very end. I once threw in some cooked chickpeas when I was out of protein at home, and it worked beautifully. The cottage cheese is the anchor, everything else is up to you.
Protein Variations
If you want to push the protein even higher, seared chicken breast chunks stir in seamlessly, as do cubed and sautéed tofu if you're eating plant-based. I've even added canned white beans that I drained and warmed through, which adds fiber and keeps the dish entirely vegetarian if that matters to you. The sauce doesn't fight with additions, it welcomes them.
Timing and Troubleshooting
The entire dish lives and dies by timing; everything happens at once and moves quickly, so read through the steps once before you start. Have your pasta water reserved before you drain, have your sauce blended while pasta cooks, and have your vegetables prepped so you're not chopping while things cook in the pot. When you're organized, this dish teaches you how satisfying it can be to cook something complete and delicious in less than half an hour.
- If your sauce is too thick, add pasta water one tablespoon at a time until it flows.
- If it's too thin, let it simmer gently for a minute longer to reduce and thicken slightly.
- Don't cook the vegetables ahead of time or they'll turn mushy; they should go in at the very end.
Save to Pinterest This pasta has fed me through busy weeks, competitive seasons, and times when cooking felt like too much. It's proof that sometimes the best meals come from working with what you have rather than waiting for the perfect ingredients to show up.
Recipe FAQs
- → How do I achieve a smooth sauce?
Blend cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil thoroughly until smooth before combining with pasta.
- → Can I use different pasta types?
Yes, whole wheat, regular pasta, or gluten-free options work well, with penne or fusilli recommended.
- → What vegetables pair well with this dish?
Baby spinach and cherry tomatoes add freshness, but arugula, kale, or peas are excellent substitutes.
- → How to add extra protein?
Include cooked chicken breast or sautéed tofu cubes to increase protein content.
- → What spices enhance the flavor?
Garlic, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes subtly enhance the creamy sauce’s taste.