Cottage Cheese High-Protein Pasta (Printable)

A creamy, protein-rich pasta with blended cottage cheese and fresh spinach and tomatoes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

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

→ 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
02 - Blend cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if used) until smooth and creamy.
03 - Return pasta to pot over low heat. Add sauce and toss to coat evenly. Gradually incorporate reserved pasta water until desired sauce consistency is achieved.
04 - Stir in spinach and cherry tomatoes if used; cook for 1 to 2 minutes until spinach wilts and tomatoes soften slightly.
05 - Serve immediately with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sauce is deceptively rich and silky without any cream, thanks to blended cottage cheese doing all the heavy lifting.
  • Twenty-five minutes from hungry to eating, with enough protein to keep you satisfied well into the evening.
  • It tastes indulgent but feels genuinely good for you, which is rarer than you'd think.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or separates, add a splash more milk and stir over low heat until it comes back together; it's forgiving if you catch it quickly.
  • The texture changes as it sits, so eat it hot and fresh rather than trying to reheat it later.
03 -
  • Cold cottage cheese blends faster and more smoothly than room temperature; keep it in the fridge until the moment you blend.
  • The pasta water starch is magic; it helps the sauce cling instead of sliding off, so don't throw it away.
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