This Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta has a lot of protein, is low in sugar, and is gluten-free.
This pasta dish has a great mix of protein, high-fiber carbs, and healthy fats that will keep you full longer and satisfy your cravings. This pasta is creamy, cheesy, and savory, making it the perfect dish to add to your weekly dinner rotation.
Why Pasta is a Year-Round Favorite
I love pasta because it’s one of my favorite foods and it can be eaten all year long, no matter what the weather is like. It’s not a seasonal dish! During the spring and summer, I want a cold pasta salad with lots of fresh veggies and light flavors. In the fall and winter, I want more traditional, hearty, warm pasta dishes. You can change the flavors to fit any mood, and right now, I’m really into this Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta 🤩You can make it in less than twenty minutes, it only needs five ingredients, and it has a lot more protein than a regular pasta meal.
I love using cottage cheese in both sweet and savory dishes to add protein without changing the texture or flavor. If anything, it only makes both of these better! The taste is mostly hidden, so it’s very easy to add it to any meal for an easy protein boost. This creamy pasta is my new favorite, but I also like my High Protein Cottage Cheese Queso, Cottage Cheese Lasagna Bowl, and Cottage Cheese Pizza Crust, which all have cottage cheese in them. If you haven’t already, you have to try all of them! I promise that even the pickiest eaters will love these recipes and eat them all. They don’t even need to know what the main ingredient is.
This pasta dish is a great choice for a quick, healthy weeknight lunch or dinner. It makes a lot of food, so you can share it or save the leftovers in the fridge for the next day. You can either reheat it on the stove or eat it cold (I do both)!
Ingredients
- ○ 8 oz of your favorite pasta
- ○ 1 cup of full-fat cottage cheese
- ○ 1 cup of marinara sauce
- ○ 1 clove of fresh garlic
- ○ 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- ○ Salt and black pepper to taste
- ○ 1/4 cup of pasta water
Toppings That Are Suggested
- Parmesan cheese that has been shredded
- Flakes of red pepper
- Basil or spinach that is fresh
More About Ingredients and Variations
You can use either gluten-free or regular pasta. I like to use lentil pasta in this dish because it adds extra protein and fiber. Brown rice pasta and cassava pasta are also great gluten-free options.
I use the full-fat cottage cheese from Good Culture or Kalona Super Natural. I think full-fat will work best!
Marinara – I used regular marinara sauce, but you could use spicy marinara if you want it to be a little spicy.
Garlic A whole clove or chopped up. You can also add any other spices you want.
Some of my favorite toppings are parmesan, red pepper flakes, spinach, chicken meatballs, hot honey, and grilled chicken.
Why You’ll Love This
- Sneaky high protein: This sauce is so creamy and the cottage cheese gives it a nice cheesy flavor, so you can trick any picky eater into not only eating it, but also loving it. It’s a great way to get more protein without even trying.
- Quick and filling—this doesn’t take long to make! Simply follow the instructions on the pasta box, mix the sauce, and enjoy.
- A balanced meal: Most pasta dishes are high in carbs and not always very filling. Even if you eat a whole plate or bowl, you might still want something sweet or more. That usually happens because eating too many carbs without enough fiber, fat, and protein makes your blood sugar go up. The pasta and marinara in this dish give us carbs that are high in fiber, and the cottage cheese gives us healthy fats and protein. Adding chicken meatballs, ground turkey, or lentil pasta is a great way to boost the protein.
- Dietary friendly: This is gluten-free, high in protein, low in sugar, and can be made with regular pasta as well.
Directions
- Follow the package directions to cook your pasta, and save 1/4 cup of the water it was cooked in. While you make the sauce, drain the pasta and put it aside.
- Put the cottage cheese, marinara, garlic, and any other spices you want (like fresh basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper) in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Mix the sauce well after adding the pasta water.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta that has already been cooked and drained, and stir until it is completely covered.
- Add some parmesan and red pepper flakes on top and enjoy! (When I’ve made this before, I’ve added spinach, organic chicken meatballs, and a drizzle of hot honey.) You can change the toppings based on what you have and what sounds good.