Merken I stumbled onto this cottage cheese pasta on a Tuesday night when my usual cream supply had mysteriously vanished from the fridge. Standing there staring at a container of cottage cheese, something clicked—why not just blend it smooth? Twenty minutes later, I had a sauce so velvety and protein-packed that it became my secret weapon for dinners that taste indulgent but actually fuel your body right.
My friend Emma came over complaining about meal prep burnout, and I threw this together while she scrolled through her phone. The moment she tasted it, her eyes lit up in that way that happens when comfort and nutrition actually agree with each other. She's made it four times since then.
Ingredients
- Pasta: Use 12 oz of whatever shape makes you happy—penne catches the sauce beautifully, but fusilli works just as well and feels less formal.
- Cottage cheese: The 1 1/2 cups is your base; low-fat versions blend smoother than full-fat, though both work fine if that's what you have.
- Milk: This thin it out—dairy, oat, or almond all play nice, and it's worth using something you actually enjoy drinking since you'll taste it.
- Parmesan cheese: A quarter cup grated, freshly if you can swing it, because it adds a sharp note that rounds out the sweetness of cottage cheese.
- Garlic: Two cloves raw, because cooked garlic hides in the background but raw garlic speaks up and adds actual flavor.
- Olive oil: Two tablespoons of the good stuff you wouldn't cook with on high heat—it's there to carry flavor, not just cook.
- Salt and pepper: Basics, but taste as you go because cottage cheese can surprise you with its own saltiness.
- Spinach and tomatoes: Optional but worth it; they add brightness and prevent the dish from feeling one-note.
Instructions
- Get the water going:
- Salt your pasta water generously—it should taste like the sea. This is your only chance to season the pasta itself.
- Blend while cooking:
- Once the water boils, throw your pasta in and let it do its thing. While it cooks, combine cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in your blender. Blend until it's completely smooth with no cottage cheese lumps visible—this usually takes 60 to 90 seconds.
- Drain and save:
- When your pasta hits al dente, reserve a full half-cup of that starchy cooking water before draining. This liquid gold will help you control your sauce thickness.
- Marry sauce and pasta:
- Return the hot pasta to the pot on low heat, pour in your creamy sauce, and toss gently. Add reserved water a splash at a time until the sauce coats everything without pooling at the bottom.
- Finish with vegetables:
- Stir in spinach and halved cherry tomatoes if using them, and let everything warm together for a minute or two until the spinach relaxes into the sauce.
- Plate and top:
- Serve immediately while hot, finishing with fresh basil torn by hand and extra Parmesan grated right over the top.
Merken There's something almost magical about the moment when a wholesome ingredient like cottage cheese transforms into something that makes people close their eyes and smile. This dish does that without ever pretending to be something it's not.
Why This Became My Weeknight Armor
Weeknights used to mean choosing between meals that nourished me and meals I actually wanted to eat. This pasta sits right in the middle, asking nothing of you but 25 minutes and basic blender skills. It's the kind of dish that makes you feel like you have your life together, even when the rest of the evening is pure chaos.
The Protein Question That Changed Everything
Before this recipe, I was the person buying protein powder and forcing down chalky shakes. Then I realized that cottage cheese, which I'd always thought of as a breakfast side dish, was sitting there with more protein than chicken breast per serving. The blender made it disappear into the sauce so completely that my partner didn't even realize what he was eating until I told him. That moment of surprise felt like a small victory.
Making It Your Own
The beauty of this pasta is how easily it bends to whatever you have on hand or whatever you're craving. I've made it with roasted broccoli instead of spinach, swirled in sun-dried tomato paste, added crispy chickpeas for crunch, or even thrown in leftover rotisserie chicken when I needed extra sustenance. The sauce is forgiving and wants to work with you, not against you.
- Fresh herbs like dill or tarragon can replace basil if that's what you've got growing in a pot by the window.
- A pinch of nutmeg or white pepper adds warmth if your sauce feels flat even after tasting for salt.
- Crushed red pepper flakes become your friend if you like heat, but go easy—they build as you eat.
Merken This pasta reminds me that the best recipes are the ones you make so often they stop feeling like cooking and start feeling like muscle memory. Make it tonight.
Fragen & Antworten zum Rezept
- → Wie wird die Sauce besonders cremig?
Die Kombination aus Hüttenkäse, Milch und Parmesan wird im Mixer glatt püriert, bis eine samtige Konsistenz entsteht.
- → Welche Pasta eignet sich am besten?
Vollkornpenne oder Fusilli eignen sich gut, da sie die Sauce gut aufnehmen und eine angenehme Textur bieten.
- → Kann ich das Gericht auch mit anderen Gemüsesorten zubereiten?
Ja, Spinat lässt sich durch Rucola, Grünkohl oder Erbsen ersetzen, je nach Geschmack und Verfügbarkeit.
- → Wie kann ich das Gericht proteinreicher machen?
Durch Zugabe von gebratenem Hähnchen oder gebratenem Tofu wird der Eiweißgehalt erhöht und die Mahlzeit noch sättigender.
- → Gibt es eine glutenfreie Option?
Glutenfreie Pasta kann problemlos verwendet werden, um das Gericht für eine glutenfreie Ernährung anzupassen.